


Dark Truth

by Clarobell



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fanfiction, Gen, clarobell, dark truth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 02:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 57,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarobell/pseuds/Clarobell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a horrific encounter at sea, Luffy's whole personality is changed. The straw hats struggle to help their captain recover, but how can they help him, if they don't even know what happened? After all, they slept while their captain was tortured.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Broken

It was far from silent upon the Sunny-Go that night. Soft waves slapped sloppily against the ship’s hull followed by the faint hiss of sea foam evaporating at the contact. The wood’s creak lilted out its own lullaby as it rocked atop the ocean in a gentle sway. It was peaceful, but far from silent. Luffy enjoyed nights like this the most. The moon illuminated a devilish grin upon his round face. He crept barefoot across the galley floor, shoes forsaken beside his bed in favour of preserving his stealth. Yes, on nights like these the ship masked any sound that might mistakenly escape him as he ventured further into the hallowed ground that was the galley. Sanji’s traps routine traps lay discarded, defeated behind him and as Luffy stood before the Sunny’s fridge in all its glory his fingers twitched in anticipation. His stomach gave a quiet growl. Its rumbling persuasion urged him on and he closed the gap as his hand took a firm grip around the handle.  
  
A soft squeak of the floorboards froze Luffy in place. His grin sobered to frown mixed with disappointment and the dangerous, quiet anger only his enemies saw.  
  
“Who’s there?” he called. He didn’t raise his voice, though his body half turned to face the darkness that shrouded the galley. Another time he may have been curious, playful with the stranger on his ship, but in the dead of night with his crew at rest Luffy’s instinct cried protect. He received no answer, and for a moment wondered if maybe he’d imagined it. Robin was on watch after all, and his archaeologist had eyes everywhere. He waited a moment more before the tension in his body visibly drained and he relaxed once more, lips curling in an anticipating smile.  
  
A hand suddenly found itself on the back of Luffy’s neck and before he had a chance to register what it was doing there, Luffy’s face made contact with the fridge followed shortly by his body as he was pinned in place. He grunted and flexed his muscles in an attempt to feel out his attacker’s strength, but his hands were restricted behind his back in a vice-like grip.  
  
The metallic scrape of a blade against the fridge drew Luffy from his analysis and he gazed cross-eyed at the sword that drifted inches before his neck before closing in on his rubber skin, the blade resting there. Luffy relaxed his body. They could slam his head off the fridge a thousand times if they wanted, but if he didn’t play his cards right, his Grand line adventure might just end tonight.  
  
His captor leaned his head down (Luffy could tell from the angle he was held at, that the other was taller) and his lips brushed Luffy’s ear as he spoke, “Comfortable?”  
  
Luffy’s eyes widened, his rubber neck twisting at an angle that would have been painful for anyone else. That voice had been...!  
  
As he laid eyes on his attacker he opened his mouth to speak, but a rough hand clamped over the bottom half of his face effectively silencing him. Calloused fingers squeezed the rubbery head aggressively.

“Now we’ll see what kind of man you really are, _Captain_.”

 

\---

 

Zoro sighed, his gaze fixed on the dark waters the Sunny-Go sailed through. It was too quiet, with an air of tension that lingered throughout the ship. It clung to the deck and sails and walls like a thick, silent smog that was slowly choking them. The usual laughter and chaos aboard the Thousand Sunny was absent; it wasn't right. Zoro’s expression softened as his eyes drifted to the side and rested on the slouched form of his Captain. He couldn’t keep the concern from his eyes but Luffy either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Zoro assumed the latter.  
  
A constant tremor shook Luffy’s frame. Zoro had grown accustomed to it over the past weeks and didn’t really notice it any more. As Luffy stood against the rail though with his hands sat upon the sturdy wood, he couldn’t help but stare at the shake in his Captain’s loosely balled fists. It felt wrong. Those hand had carried them this far and pummelled through rock and steel and bone without hesitation or doubt. The boy behind them now was a shell of the man he had been mere weeks before. Their light that eradicated all of their shadows and nightmares now found himself lost within his own.  
  
Zoro had no idea just what happened that night, but Luffy hadn’t been the same since they’d passed over those waters. They had faced many dangers since their journey started and a lot had been traumatising. Their battles and injuries had at time brought them to their knees, but Luffy’s strength always pulled them to their feet once more and here before him Zoro’s Captain seemed unable to carry his own weight and looked ready to crumble before his eyes. Zoro had never seen Luffy affected by anything this way. The rubber boy had always seemed so unbreakable and invincible. It was hard to see him like this.

Luffy’s eyes drifted from the shadows his hat cast over them for a moment and Zoro realised he had been staring too long. He didn’t turn his gaze away when their eyes met. He had been with Luffy the longest – he could read his fiery Captain better than himself, but Zoro had barely caught a glimpse of the pain and fear in those wide eyes before they retreated once more. It felt like a physical blow, the air escaped from his gut as Luffy shied away from him. One look between the two until now could hold an entire conversation, questions could be asked and answered without a single word and now Luffy had cut him off.  
  
Zoro couldn’t help but wonder if he’d imagined in the brief moment their eyes had met, the shame he saw shining there. Luffy was hurting inside and it was worse than any physical pain to now there was nothing he could do to put a stop to it. He wanted to grab the younger boy and shake him and pull him to his chest and hold him like a child and shout at him that he shouldn’t feel ashamed for anything. They all had their moments of weakness. Luffy was entitled to his and they would guard him like he had them for as long as it took to recover from whatever he’d been through. He returned his gaze to the ocean.

A barely audible sigh escaped Zoro’s lips and he swallowed thickly as he caught Luffy’s flinch from the corner of his eye. It made him feel sick with a worry his blood boil with a fury and desire to kill the one who had caused this if only he knew who it was. It was two emotion he often controlled without problem, but seeing Luffy like this made them rumble dangerously below the surface of his skin. He was careful not to let it show. Zoro turned his eyes skyward toward the thick grey cloud that smothered the normally beautifully blue sky. It seemed as though the world mirrored Luffy’s mood.  
  
Luffy shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. The action snapped Zoro’s attention back to his quiet Captain. He noticed the younger boys breathing had become slightly more laboured, a thin sheen of sweat coating the skin that wasn’t hidden behind thick bandages. The pain medication had probably worn off. A swift scrutiny of the bandages themselves told him it was about time to change them.

“Oi, Luffy,” he called softly and swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise as even that gentle call caused the boy the startle. Luffy’s dark eyes lifted and struggled to acknowledge Zoro by meeting his eyes. Instead Luffy looked through him and focussed on his chest. Zoro continued regardless. “Don’t you think it’s time you got Chopper to change those bandages?” he asked.

Luffy visibly reacted to the question as though startled from deep thought and looked down at his body dumbly for a few seconds. He stared at the bandages as though he’d noticed them for the first time. Zoro knew better; every day Luffy looked at the bandages as if he’d never seen them before, almost as if he couldn’t quite accept what he’d become as much as the crew couldn’t. A moment more passed in silence as Zoro gave Luffy a few more moments before a mute nod was his only response. Luffy moved without further prompting and Zoro didn’t miss the gap between them as the injured boy walked around him and towards the cabin without a word.  
  
Zoro waited until he was sure Luffy was out of earshot before he released a quiet curse. With things as they were now it didn’t look like their journey would be continuing much further. Luffy seemed to be in a permanent state of shock, constantly dazed and never quite _there_. He hadn’t spoken a word since he’d woken after that night, not a single syllable. From Chopper’s examinations it had already been determined that other than swelling and inflammation, there was no permanent or dire damage to Luffy’s throat which could only mean Luffy's silence was voluntary.

With a grunt, Zoro pushed himself from the railings and started his search for Nami to find out when they would be docking. They had been a ways off shore from the island they’d last set sail from for a few weeks to give Luffy time to recover before making their next move. Now they were running low on supplies and had to make a decision. Normally Luffy would decide, but Luffy hadn’t been doing a lot of things he usually did, lately.

As he walked across the deck Zoro almost felt the need to step lighter, as his footfalls sounded too heavy and loud on the unusually quiet ship. He stopped as he spotted Usopp seated by the railing at the other end of the ship and contemplated going to see if the younger pirate was okay; it was his responsibility after all as first mate when his captain was unable to do such things. He watched for a few more seconds before he decided against it. The marksman seemed in deep thought. He would take the time to talk to him later, but right now he had to find Nami.

As he climbed the stairs heading towards the galley, he noted the lack of people now on deck and called, “Oi, Usopp.”  
  
Usopp's head snapped up, startled and he looked around. “Huh?! W-What? What’s wrong?” he asked as he spotted Zoro.  
  
“I’m going in.” Zoro answered, a silent request for the marksman to join him. It had been decided with no knowledge on whom or what had harmed Luffy that night, that the crew would refrain from wandering the ship alone. Usopp suddenly noticed his solitary state and quickly scurried up the stairs to join Zoro.

The two entered the galley together and it was only as he inhaled the first warm scents of the night’s meal that Zoro realised how chilly it had been outside. A small optimistic whisper inside his heart wondered if perhaps Luffy’s trembling wasn’t from the cold, but his head knew otherwise. He spotted Nami sitting at the table and moved to sit opposite her. Nami didn’t acknowledge his entrance as she sat with her head in her hands and her thumbs massaged circles into her temples.

“It’ll take us a couple hours if the winds are good and we take the ship.” she whispered wearily, already fully aware of what Zoro wanted to know. “A smaller group could go in the Mini Merry...” she hesitated then, “But, if they came back...”

Zoro nodded, though the navigator couldn’t see him as her head was in her hands. He understood her concerns. If somebody could take Luffy out without alerting any of them then they had to be ridiculously strong or smart. Separating the crew may increase the risk to Luffy in such a vulnerable state, but taking him on land was just as risky. The decision ultimately fell on his shoulders.

“You want something to eat?” Sanji asked suddenly, quietly. His movements were slow and lazy, none of his usual enthusiasm and passion in the kitchen present.

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve barely eaten in 3 days, idiot.” the cook retorted weakly, an undertone of anger lacing his tone. “You’ll be too weak to fight them if they come back. Have a fucking sandwich.”

Sanji’s tone lacked conviction despite his words. He wasn’t about to make Zoro eat if he didn’t want to, but Zoro knew he was right. An affirmative grunt was his answer and the cook quickly set to work and placed the small meal before the swordsman. Zoro slowly bit into the fluffy bread and filling, tearing away a small chunk before he sluggishly chewed. Sanji cleaned up what he’d used and moved to sit at the table with Zoro and Nami. Usopp joined them shortly after and the quartet sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Zoro pushed the second half of his sandwich towards Usopp wordlessly. Usopp took it with a mumbled thanks and ate in the same fashion as the swordsman had.

Sanji frowned slightly at the fact that Zoro hadn’t finished even that small sandwich. At the rate he was going he was going to make himself sick. That was the last thing they needed. They had Luffy to worry about as it was.

“Did you get him to eat anything today?” Zoro asked quietly.

“Not much, but at least it was something.” Sanji replied as he struck a match and held it in front of the cigarette pinched between his lips.

“Do you think he’ll keep it down this time?”

“I really don’t know.”

A soft sigh escaped Usopp’s lips as he looked across at his crewmates.

“Is… he gonna be okay?”  
  
None of his crewmates could offer him an honest answer, and none had the chance as the silence was shattered by cries for help from their doctor. The crew moved on instinct, the urge to protect their fragile captain pumping adrenaline through their veins. By the time they got there, Franky and Brooke had already arrived ahead of them. They restrained Luffy as best they could to control his violent thrashing. Chopper frantically rummaged through his medicine supplies in search of a sedative as Sanji and Zoro moved to help restrain Luffy so he wouldn’t hurt himself. Even in this state their Captain was still physically strong.

“Is it another fit?” Sanji shouted across the room to Chopper.

“I don’t think so...!” Chopper replied distractedly and cursed under his breath as his search came up empty.  
  
Luffy’s care over the past few weeks had been so frantic and intense that the infirmary looked more like a dump. Empty bottles and stained bandages lay strewn across the floor and Chopper had lost track of his important inventory of medical supplies. With no trips to shore he’d had no chance to restock either.

“He’s delirious – it must be another flashback!” he called back to Sanji, tears pooling in his eyes at the sight of Luffy. “I’ve got no sedatives...”

“Shit!” Zoro shouted as he shifted his hold on Luffy, mindful of his injuries, so that neither of them would get hurt. “Isn’t it bad enough he had to go through it once?! Why the hell should he have to live through it again?!”

“He’s going to hurt himself if he doesn’t stop soon!” Sanji grunted as he tightened his hold on the boy’s arms. Franky and Brooke each held one of their Captain’s legs securely as the crew worked together to prevent him from hurting himself as he relived the nightmare of that night.  
  
Suddenly the thrashing stopped and Luffy’s body tensed before he sagged like a ragdoll in their grip. The suddenness of it almost caused them to lose their grip, but after a moment when he remained still, his wide eyes wide open yet at the same time unseeing, they slowly lowered him to the floor. Robin, who had been helping to change Luffy’s bandages when the flashbacks began, stayed beside Chopper, but offered assistance with her devil fruit as several disembodied feet walked a thin mattress over to the group to lay her injured ailing captain upon. Nami stood on Robin’s other side. Tears soaked her face and sobs hitched in her throat as she watched the scene unfold, hands held over her mouth in horror.

As the crew released their hold on him, for a moment it seemed as though all the life had fled from Luffy. Franky swallowed thickly and resisted the urge to shake the boy. Instead he rested his oversized hand upon Luffy’s chest. For a few tense moments it didn’t rise or fall and then with a strangled gasp Luffy drew in a gulp of air and jerked away from the cyborg’s touch. He rolled onto his side and curled in on himself, eyes half lidded and obviously exhausted. A collective sigh of relief sounded from the crew as the ordeal came to an end, but before they had a chance to relax, Luffy’s body suddenly jerked again as he heaved, and then again. Zoro and Usopp’s body’s moved before their minds could stop them. Aside from Nami they had known Luffy the longest and so had been tending to his wounds and whatever assistance he might’ve needed after his attack. Gently but swiftly they eased him into a kneeling position and supported his weight by the shoulders and middle as Luffy’s arms trembled under even his own weight unaided. With a final heave he emptied his stomach onto the wooden floor beside the mattress.  
  
Zoro ignored the sick that splattered onto the fabric of his pants and kept a firm hold on his shoulders as Usopp steadied Luffy from behind. The rubber boy panted weakly and lifted his arm and grabbed onto Zoro’s muscled one. Wearily Luffy slumped forward with a tired groan onto his first mates shoulder as his eyes fell closed but less than a second later he pulled back with a strangled gasp. Zoro tried not to flinch at the action; he knew Luffy didn’t mean to do it but the fact was that whatever had happened that night had deep-rooted a fear in Luffy that penetrated even the close bonds and trust between his nakama. Physical comfort only caused him distress and he couldn’t look any of them in the eye. Usopp tried to offer his own comfort with a gentle rub of Luffy’s back, but his rubbery best friend shied away from the touch like an anxious cat, bending his back away from the touch. Usopp tried not to let the hurt show in his eyes as did the rest of the crew but Luffy turned away guiltily, still panting softly, head bowed miserably.

“It’s okay, Luffy,” Usopp muttered a little hesitantly. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.”  
  
“We’ll protect you, Luffy-san.” Brooke promised, solemnly.

Luffy offered a miniscule nod, though didn’t seem convinced and didn’t raise his head. The motion itself was more than they’d hoped for. Franky moved to clean the small puddle of vomit as Luffy gingerly eased himself down onto the thin mattress Robin had provided. Sanji walked over to his own hammock and grabbed the blanket lying there. He flicked it out and let the thin material float down over Luffy’s body. He still seemed tense with so many huddled around him, and so slowly the crew eased back, though remained in the room on watch like silent sentries. After a few moments of deliberation, Brooke fetched his violin and offered a gentle, quiet melody for the room’s occupants. The tune was neither sad nor happy, but peaceful. Luffy’s breathing slowly evened out as he accepted the comfort the music offered and he slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The crew quietly designated their own sleeping quarters in the infirmary. If Luffy wasn’t sleeping in the cabin tonight, then they wouldn’t either. They would stay by his side and protect him as they’d promised. Robin bloomed a pair of eyes in the watch tower to keep an eye on the dark, calm waters as the rest of the crew settled down for the night.


	2. The Nightmares

The night didn’t bring rest to the Strawhats. Though each crew member nodded off at some point, the soft creaks and groans of their Thousand Sunny that once soothed them to sleep now startled them awake, fearful that their captain’s attacker had returned. Since he was attacked, Luffy had yet to have a peaceful sleep, constantly plagued by nightmares that replayed whatever terrors he had faced that night. The knowledge that Luffy would be thrashing and screaming out his terror at some point that night kept the majority of the crew from rest themselves.

For the moment Luffy seemed at peace. He’d stirred once or twice but Brook had kept vigil at his bedside, and each time he showed signs of waking from his slumber, the skeleton had lilted out a soft sweet melody to lull him back to his dreams. It eased all of their hearts to see Luffy resting soundly, even if it was for just a while.

“Did he talk at all today?” Sanji asked, softly. They were all laid down, scattered around Luffy like a human shield. Sanji had no idea who, if any of his crewmates were awake and so he kept his voice at a mumble, unwilling to disturb any that were lucky enough to catch some shuteye.

“Not a word,” Zoro replied solemnly. His words were clipped and hushed, laced with a quiet anger. It wasn’t directed at anybody but himself. “What has it been now? Two? Three weeks?”

“Sixteen days,” Nami corrected absently. “Counting today.” She lay opposite Luffy. Her sleepy brown eyes traced over her slumbering Captain’s battered body. “It’s just so quiet.”

“At least he’s not dead,” Franky muttered.

“Don’t say that!” Usopp snapped suddenly, his voice raised in pitch as tears threatened to fall at the mere thought of losing Luffy.

“Shh!” Chopper hissed back at the marksman, one hoof raised in front of his snout in a gesture for Usopp to keep his voice down. Usopp startled as he realised his mistake and turned to look at Luffy and inspect the damage. Thankfully Robin had anticipated that one of them would have an outburst at such a statement and two disembodied hands gently covered Luffy’s ears without disturbing him.

“It’s true,” Sanji muttered calmly as he sat up and plucked a cigarette from his top pocket. He placed the butt between his teeth and chewed it lightly but didn’t light the tip just yet. The smell might wake Luffy. The thought of losing his captain terrified him just as much as it did Usopp, but panic and anger were the last things Luffy needed. “We _almost_ lost him.”

“But we didn’t,” Usopp said back. “He just needs some time to get over it.”

“Most people can’t just recover from something like that,” Franky muttered gravely. He’d seen all too many people broken down and abused in his lifetime, even before Water 7, on the ship he was raised on.

“Luffy-san isn’t like ‘most people’...” Brook interjected.  
  
“Exactly!” Usopp agreed quietly, but enthusiastically.  
  
“Luffy’s in a league all of his own...” Nami whispered. Her eyes never left Luffy’s face, staring at him intently as if willing him to believe her words. “He can come back from this.”

The infirmary fell quiet once more. Luffy had been through a hell of a lot since their journey begun. He’d beaten the odds time and time again and always came out smiling. Nobody spoke it out loud, but they all felt the same thing. Something was very different this time. Luffy had proven on countless occasions that he could take a beating and come back fighting, this time however it seemed as though something had extinguished the fire in his heart that pushed him forward. A physical beating alone wasn’t enough to crush his confidence as it had. Something had happened in the galley that night that had shattered Luffy’s confidence. The physical wounds would heal, but only time would tell if the mental scars would fade.

“His wounds are healing up pretty good.” Franky spoke up, suddenly. It sounded too loud in the silent room.  
  
“Luffy always heals fast.” Chopper replied proudly.  
  
“He has the best doctor!” Usopp said as he reached across and ruffled the top of Chopper’s hat affectionately.  
  
“Bastard~!” Chopper lilted as he squirmed a little in place. “That doesn’t make me happy at all!”  
  
“Most of the bruises have faded now...” Nami commented.  
  
“That,” Zoro said as he gestured to the top of a stitched wound that peeked from Luffy’s shirt, “Is going to scar.”  
  
“I think so,” Chopper replied.  
  
“I know so.” Zoro added, smirking. “He’s gonna think it’s cool.”  
  
That comment brought a smile to weary faces of the crew. The thought of Luffy regarding a life threatening wounds scar as cool would normally exasperate them, but they all looked forward to seeing anything resembling normal from the boy any time soon.  
  
“The rest of the puncture wounds should heal without scars though.” Chopper added as his mind sifted through Luffy’s countless injuries.  
  
“As always.” Sanji stated. “Lucky bastard.”

“How has his heart been?” Robin asked carefully. That had been the most worrying thing amongst all of Luffy’s injuries. Heart damage was something that didn’t always recover on its own.  
  
“Good,” Chopper replied with a smile. The crew visibly sagged with relief. “Luffy has a strong heart.”  
  
“He does.” Robin agreed with a fond smile.

“He lost his lunch again.” Sanji remarked absently, as he stared at the stained spot where Luffy threw up earlier. The concern was evident in Sanji’s eyes as he rolled the cigarette between his lips. Luffy had barely eaten anything since that night and what he did eat usually wasn’t kept down for long. He was already dehydrated, exhausted and injured. Sanji didn’t know how much more his weakened body could take. He didn’t voice his thoughts however. The last time he’d shown any sign of losing faith in Luffy, Zoro and slugged him across the face and sworn he’d throw his sorry ass off the ship if he said anything more on the matter. They had to believe in Luffy, he’d said. He tried his best, but nothing he prepared seemed destined to stay put in Luffy’s stomach. The cook vowed to himself that he would find better supplies when they docked – he’d puree or mash or liquefy anything it took to give Luffy a little bit of strength back.  
  
“At least he’s sleeping...” Nami answered quietly.  
  
Sanji studied Nami’s face for a moment. None of them had got much sleep over the past few weeks, but Nami looked even wearier than the rest of them. Tentatively, he called, “Nami-san?” and when she hummed a response, asked, “You look tired. Don’t you think you should try to sleep?”

“I’m okay Sanji-kun…” she answered slowly. “I just… the nightmares of Luffy and…”

Nami trailed off and Sanji didn’t even need to hear the end of her sentence to know what she was talking about. Nami had been the one to find Luffy after all.

 

**\---------------**

 

_Nami yawned and stretched with a soft mewl as she climbed out of bed. It was earlier than she usually got up and a glance at the clock beside her bed told her that even Sanji wouldn’t be up at this hour. With a smile she exited the cabin intent on pouring herself some coffee for a nice and quiet morning before the boys woke up._

_Nami hurriedly jogged across the deck towards the galley. She was barefoot and the chilly morning air froze her toes. As she scooted past the watch tower, Robin made her way down to enjoy her own early morning coffee. She had been on watch last night and smiled at Nami as their eyes met.  
  
_ _"Quiet night?” Nami asked the older woman._

_R_ _obin nodded back with a smile. “Mm, aside from Luffy-san hunting for a midnight snack.” She answered with a small chuckle._  
  
_“Ehh??” Nami noised, “Again!?”_

 _“Mhm,” Robin answered. “He’s yet to come out, so I expect he’s either been caught in one of Sanji-san’s traps or has been successful. Fufu...”  
  
_ _"That little...!” Nami threatened as she stomped towards the galley. “When I get my hands on him, he’s so...!!” she flung the galley door open intent on chewing out her thieving captain, but as she saw the carnage laid out before her, all that escaped was a shrill scream._  
  
Robin ran to her side, eyes wide as she too took in the bloody mess in the middle of the galley. Nami’s hands shook as she stepped back, revolted by the sight. Her heart clenched painfully and she prayed to whatever gods there were that this was all a horrible nightmare, but no matter how hard she pinched her skin she didn’t wake up. The blood spattered, crushed straw hat beside his head left no doubt to whom the ravaged body belonged to.

_“ **LUFFY!** ”_

**\---------------**

Sanji clenched his teeth around the unlit cigarette and almost bit it in half. He couldn’t imagine how she must have felt seeing that. There was nothing he or any of them could do; what had happened was in the past and couldn’t be changed. Luffy would have to come out of this or call it quits and the blonde was hoping with every fibre of his being it wouldn’t be the latter. Luffy may not have been the best captain, often childish and more than once he’d sent them off on a hazardous ‘adventure’ on some stupid whim, but he was the only captain Sanji would ever follow. He was a straw hat pirate until death.

“Shit,” he muttered as he rested his head in his hands.  
  
Nobody had time to question Sanji’s small outburst as Luffy suddenly gave a groan and shifted on the thin mattress. The crew became alert in a heartbeat, each sat up slowly, attentive of the stirring boy. Nami scooted back away from Luffy at Zoro’s urging. Despite his weakness Luffy could still deal significant damage when panicked in the throes of a nightmare. The shift came just on time as Luffy suddenly sucked in a deep breath and let out a piercing shriek. The crew swarmed in as his body suddenly bucked and thrashed, striking out at invisible enemies. Before they could reach him he’d rolled to his feet with a stagger.  
  
“Be careful,” Zoro warned as he circled Luffy warily. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Luffy often fought the demons that plagued his nightmares when his body was weakened. The only problem was that he fought them outside of his dreams too.  
  
As expected, Luffy charged at his invisible foe straight into the path of Usopp. Zoro skidded between the two and took Luffy’s tackle to his own body. Usopp dived aside just before they crashed into the wall and Zoro grunted as he wrapped his arm around Luffy’s middle and held him secure so he couldn’t move. Robin took the chance to bloom a dozen arms across Luffy’s own that held them stationary so he couldn’t attack Zoro whilst the swordsman immobilized his movement. For a second it looked as though the situation was under control, but as Zoro opened his mouth to try and wake Luffy from his nightmare the younger boy thrust his head forward and cracked his skull against Zoro’s. Dazed, Zoro released his hold on Luffy and the rubber boy staggered backwards.  
  
Chopper rushed to Zoro’s side as he crouched down with a curse and clutched his head. Zoro couldn’t believe he’d fallen for Luffy’s trump card. He stood again slowly and waved off Chopper’s fussing with grunt. “I’m fine.”  
  
Luffy staggered back and forth in the middle of the room, striking out at nobody they could see, eyes half lidded and glazed. When he got too close to anybody in particular they skilfully dodged the sloppy attack and moved away from him. It was painful to watch.  
  
Usopp, in a rare act of bravery suddenly charged forward and tackled Luffy to the ground from behind. It was risky. Usopp didn’t want to hurt Luffy any more than he already was, but if somebody didn’t stop him soon Luffy would end up hurting himself with his frenzied attacks. The two toppled to the ground and Usopp winced as Luffy’s head smashed into the ground. He knew it wouldn’t hurt his rubber friend but the noise still made him cringe. The shock of the fall achieved the desired goal as it startled Luffy awake. Usopp quickly retreated from his captain’s fallen form as he realised Luffy was slowly coming to his senses.  
  
Luffy’s vision slowly cleared and he blinked once, then twice as he realised he was in the infirmary. He winced as pain burned through his chest. The tackle had busted a couple of his stitches and the bandages slowly reddened as blood seeped fresh from the wound.  
  
“O-Ow...” he mumbled.  
  
The crews eyes widened at the small uttering that swelled hope in their chests. Though it was a mere grunt of a noise, it was something _spoken_ – that single word was a tiny step in the right direction. A collective glance to one another shared a silent message between the crew. Luffy looked as though he hadn’t realised he’d let the little word escape his silence and so they wouldn’t bring it to his attention.  
  
Luffy lay on the cold wooden floor of the infirmary and looked utterly exhausted. His weary eyes flickered between the crew members in his vision before they slid closed again and he sighed softly. Chopper flitted around him like a skittish butterfly, eager to have a look at what damage had been done but unwilling to touch Luffy without warning. Zoro was the first to act and moved forward as though to pick Luffy up. He assumed the boy had fallen back to sleep from his stillness, but as soon as his fingers touched Luffy’s clammy skin the boy twisted and bolted upright, eyes wide and unfocused. He groaned weakly as his chest throbbed with fresh pain and his eyes slid closed again as he willed away the sudden dizziness that threatened to take his consciousness from him.

“Luffy…” Zoro whispered, not sure whether he should try to help the boy or not for fear of hurting him more “C’mon buddy, you can’t let this rule you… Let me help you.” 

Zoro moved forward once again, but Luffy only inched back until his back bumped against the closest wall. Zoro moved back again and tried not to look too dejected. For a few seconds the two stared at one another, Zoro’s gaze fixed and intense with an understanding shining there. Luffy’s gaze flickered between the walls and Zoro, unwilling to meet his eyes for more than a second. Shakily he got to his feet and stepped forward slowly on trembling legs. He seemed to be heading for the infirmary cot but stopped suddenly, frozen in place. Zoro stepped forward, careful to keep enough distance so as not to make his captain uncomfortable but close enough to catch him if he fell.

“You okay, Luffy?” he asked softly.

Luffy’s shoulders began to quiver and Zoro clenched his jaw and averted his eyes. He felt torn as tears splashed from Luffy’s chin to the floor and soaked his face. The rest of the crew also felt the dilemma. Luffy’s tears were not a common sight – he’d cried for the loss of comrades and was unashamed at those times to let the world bear witness to his grief. This was different. These were tears of shame and humiliation that his entire crew saw now. Zoro turned his face away, not willing to witness it. He knew these were tears of frustration as well as Luffy battled with his own weakness and fear. Zoro knew Luffy saw the hurt and confusion in all of their faces every time he flinched away from them or shied from their touch. Zoro clenched his fist as a strangled sob tore from Luffy’s throat.  
  
“Zoro...” Nami whispered with a gentle urgency in her voice.  
  
Zoro barely registered the call, too lost in his own thoughts.  
  
“Zoro-san...!” Brook called, louder this time, more insistent.

Zoro looked back, a pang of fear in his heart at Brook’s tone of voice, though his eyes widened as he found Luffy stood before him, barely an inch away. For the first time in weeks, Luffy didn’t turn away as Zoro looked into his eyes. The swordsman could see his trembling, though whether from fear or sorrow he didn’t know. Luffy’s breath came in short, nervous pants as he forced himself to remain so close to his first mate. He couldn’t stand to see his crew hurting and in that one moment that felt a lifetime, he tried to explain it without words.  
  
_I’m trying...  
  
_ Zoro felt sick to his stomach. As he partook in the silent exchange they’d done a thousand times before he could see the pain and suffering and anguish, but worst of all was what he _couldn’t_ see. The unwavering trust that Luffy placed in all of them blindly since the day he met them was extinguished in his captain’s eyes. A foreign feeling of panic bubbled to life in Zoro’s heart. Before now the fact that he didn’t know every detail of that night hadn’t bothered him. He focussed on the knowledge that they would hunt down the culprit and make them pay. Now though, his mind whirled with questions of just _what_ could have taken place to shatter the unbreakable bonds of trust Luffy built with his nakama.

Luffy’s own heart filled with dread and panic as he saw Zoro’s reaction. He could see Zoro’s mind working and the question in his eyes, but that wasn’t what Luffy had wanted! He’d wanted to put their minds at ease, to reassure them in some way that he could get over this. It was hard right now, but he wasn’t going to just give up on them – on their dreams and his own. In a desperate move, Luffy suddenly launched himself at Zoro and wrapped his arms around his swordsman’s torso as buried his face in Zoro’s shoulder.  
  
Shock stalled Zoro’s reaction for a half a second before he returned the embrace, gentler, mindful of Luffy’s injuries. As soon as he felt Zoro’s arms close around him Luffy’s trembling increased. Zoro moved as if to withdraw but Luffy held fast and tightened his own grip, using Zoro as an anchor in the storm of emotions he found himself lost in. Zoro’s eyes softened and a smile touched his lips as he relaxed his arms into the embrace once more. Luffy was terrified by the contact he could see, but he was facing it and even though it was the tiniest glimmer in a pool of black, just a glimpse of _their_ Luffy released a quiet explosion of hope amongst the crew.  
  
After a few moments in the embrace Luffy could take no more and he pulled away jerkily. After taking a few moments to compose himself he glanced back at Zoro, relieved to see his swordsman’s confident smirk back in place. A worried frown didn’t suit him. The atmosphere in the room didn’t feel so heavy any more either and Luffy released a quiet, relieved sigh. His body ached something fierce, so he dragged his heavy feet over to the infirmary bed to rest. Chopper would have to tend to the busted stitches anyway – there mere thought sent a shudder through his body. He lay down slowly, resigned to the treatment.

Sanji followed Chopper as the doctor readied his utensils. The crew around them slowly eased into quiet chatter and planned how they would restock their supplies. Sanji and Usopp left the infirmary together for a moment though returned a few minutes later. Usopp joined in the quiet chatter as Sanji made his way over to Luffy.  
  
“You think you can eat just a little for me?” Sanji asked. He kept his distance from the bed as he didn’t want to make Luffy uncomfortable. The display of courage on Luffy’s part before was encouraging, but Sanji wasn’t so stupid to think that things would go right back to normal. For now they had to build Luffy’s physical strength back up so that he could be more confident in himself again.  
  
Luffy eyed the food indecisively. Sometimes it didn’t seem worth eating at all. He hated throwing up and whenever he ate it seemed that’s all he ever did. He stole a quick glance at Sanji and gave a curt nod. Luffy knew despite the chef’s complaints that Sanji loved the enthusiasm he had for food. Sanji wasn’t used to Luffy rejecting anything at all, let alone his specially prepared emails. Luffy knew rejection wasn’t an option. It was just another fight he would keep battling until he won and kept his food down.

Sanji wisely waited for Chopper to patch Luffy up before he attempted to get any food into his captain. Luffy was in a lot of pain and Sanji knew from experience pain alone could cause you to lose your lunch. It was hard to watch as Luffy sank back into the bed and hissed and grunted in pain. Luffy tried not to show it, but the strain in his face was obvious.  
  
When Chopper finished Sanji gave Luffy a few moments to recover and relax. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and though Luffy did flinch, he didn’t inch away. It was obvious his captain was nervous as hell, but if nothing else, Luffy was known for his bravery.  
  
Bite by bite, captain and chef worked their way through the small meal. They took several small breaks to make sure the food had settled but at the end with Sanji sporting an empty plate and Luffy a full stomach, the morale in the room lifted that little bit higher. There was a long race ahead of them but they’d just jumped another hurdle. Tomorrow would prove the hardest yet. When the sun rose they would dock to resupply.


	3. Heavy Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to all the readers who have taken the time to review so far, both old and new! Some of you have expressed some regret in seeing the old Dark truth go. I can understand where you're coming from but we all develop over time and that old Dark Truth isn't me anymore. The storyline is still mine but that style of writing is obsolete. However! This isn't to say there's anything wrong with you guys enjoying it. If anybody would still like the old Dark Truth to keep, please feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to send you the chapters.
> 
> There is a LOT of change in this chapter – some rearranging, lots of new content and some scenes gone forever, simply because they had no place in the rewrite any more. I hope you enjoy the changes!
> 
> Finally, I was wondering if anybody out there would like to give me a hand with writing this fic. I need a little help to bounce ideas, beta read, check my sentence structure etc. If anybody is interested, please let me know :D
> 
> That aside, without further ado, I present to you – chapter 3!

_Pain bled through Luffy’s body, limbs shook and his breath came in short, strangled gasps. The coarse rope around his neck tightened once more. It chafed and burned his skin as he struggled against its hold. It pulled him upwards mercilessly, suspending him in the air. Luffy bucked and flailed in the air as he was slowly suffocated. His fight became frantic, fuelled by panic. His hands rose instinctively to pull at the noose but the drug they’d injected him with left him weak and uncoordinated. It was no use. Just as his thrashing began to wane, the rope loosened and Luffy crashed to the floor in a slumped heap. He greedily sucked in gulps of air as his chest heaved with his heavy panting. He took a few moments to compose himself, Luffy stood, a slight wobble in his legs as he straightened was the only giveaway of his weakness. He stood tall, eyes shadowed under the rim of his straw hat. His attacker wasted no time in repeating the torture._

_"_ _You don’t seem so strong now,_ captain _.”_

\---

 

Luffy jerked awake with a strangled gasp. He released it in a shuddery breath and tried to calm his breathing down. A hand suddenly settled on his shoulder in a firm but gentle grip and Luffy released a shrill yelp as he pulled away and twisted on the infirmary cot to see who was there. Usopp’s worried eyes gazed back at him and Luffy shrank away from his touch. Usopp swallowed back the hurt and surprise at Luffy’s reaction, still unused to his captain’s sudden change in personality. He quickly recovered and lifted his hands up in a placating gesture.  
  
“My bad.” He said simply and offered Luffy a shaky smile.  
  
Luffy stared back at Usopp, too exhausted to humour his marksman. His gaze settled on Usopp’s lips, once again avoiding eye contact. It made Usopp uncomfortable, though he tried not to show it. There were a lot of things he’d seen in the last few weeks that had made him uncomfortable; like how small Luffy looked curled up on his side, or how his fearless captain jerked at any contact and startled at any sound. A few hours ago had hopefully been a start to Luffy’s recovery at last. He had foolishly hoped that Luffy might wake up as _Luffy_ again, but here sat this stranger that had taken his place that looked through Usopp and not at him. It made his insides churn, but Usopp knew he had to be strong and brave for Luffy now, like Luffy had always been for him.  
  
Luffy was surprised when Usopp’s tanned hand slipped into his vision. He had been lost in thought for a moment, staring at the bed sheets. He followed the length of the arm with his eyes and blinked curiously.   
  
“Here,” Usopp said as he shifted his hand closer.   
  
Luffy looked down again at the intruding appendage and realised Usopp was offering him a damp cloth. It brought it to his attention that his nightmare had left him sweaty and sticky and he gratefully accepted the cloth with a shaky hand.   
  
Usopp smiled as Luffy accepted the cloth. His gaze drifted over to the soaked bedsheet and Luffy’s soggy bandages. He wondered what terrible monsters Luffy faced in his dreams to bring out such a reaction. Nightmares were nothing new after all – Luffy had them fairly frequently even before this happened. Though he always appeared so untouchable, the scars of their violent encounters had obviously marked him in some way. Now it was different though. Usopp recognised the haunted look Luffy carried with him now. It was the same one that flitted across his face after those past nightmares for the briefest of moments before Luffy realised where he was and that he had only been dreaming. Usopp wondered what demons lingered in Luffy’s mind to make him wear that expression all the time.  
  
“Was it bad...?” he asked, gently.  
  
Luffy lifted his bowed head again and regarded Usopp with a curious, tired expression.  
  
“The dream, I mean...” Usopp elaborated. “It...” he started and then hesitated a moment, unsure. He swallowed thickly and decided to go ahead with his question. “It was of that night, right?” It felt taboo to even mention it, as though bringing the issue up would revert Luffy back to the catatonic state he’d been in the first few days after he’d woken.  
  
Luffy nodded mutely and averted his eyes as he continued to wipe away the physical remnants of the nightmare. Usopp’s sad eyes made him uncomfortable.  
  
“It’s a little past three, I think.” Usopp said, breaking the awkward silence that settled between them. “Everybody else but us is asleep. We’re gonna be docking in a few hours to resupply.”

Luffy tensed at Usopp’s words. He’d been so lost in thought as of late he’d failed to register most of the conversations going on around him. The thought of facing _strangers_ was a terrifying prospect. The emotion in itself was foreign for Luffy. He was used to embracing adventures and new people into his world but after that night... what happened... he just didn’t know who he could trust.

Usopp didn’t miss the reaction. He had hoped the idea of meeting new people and exploring a new island would invoke a small spark of excitement in Luffy. Now he felt foolish for even harbouring that hope. His heart clenched as dark thoughts crept wickedly into his mind. What if this really was the end for them? If Luffy didn’t claw his way back from this could they go on without him? It was unthinkable!   
  
“Luffy...” Usopp choked out, his voice suddenly tight with emotion.  
  
Luffy lifted tired eyes and studied Usopp in a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. He focussed on Usopp’s nose and avoided direct eye contact.  
  
“Please Luffy.... you’re gonna be okay, right?” Usopp whispered shakily. Tears pooled in his eyes and Luffy’s widened at the sight. Luffy’s heart hammered in his chest at the question. He looked every bit the deer caught in the headlights. A heavy silence hung between them for several moments that felt a lifetime before a tired groan sounded from beside the bed. Sanji, who had fallen asleep there after he’d delivered Luffy his first successful meal, sat up with a grunt and scratched his sleep scuffed hair.  
  
“You can’t ask him something like that now, idiot.” He reprimanded quietly, though there was no malice or anger in his tone. He had listened half heartedly to the pair as he floated between sleep and consciousness.   
  
Usopp choked out a quiet sob as he knuckled away the tears and bit his lip. “But... But I...”  
  
“He can’t answer that right now.” Sanji continued coolly as he patted his shirt in search of a cigarette and cursed half heartedly as he realised he was out. He knew exactly how Usopp felt but Luffy had only opened his heart to them the barest bit just hours earlier. It was too soon to expect more from him. “Ne, Captain?”  
  
Luffy lowered his head once more as his shoulders sagged with guilt. He shook his head from side to side. Sanji resisted the urge to sigh. Like Usopp a foolishly hopeful shred of hope still waited for Luffy to jump up and declare that he would find the asshole that did this to him and kick his ass. It was just a dream, but their crew lived by their dreams and so he didn’t try to stamp out the hope. Luffy was as unpredictable as a tornado and just about as destructive. He could come back to them yet.  
  
“Luffy...” Usopp said, his voice quivering with emotion.   
  
Slowly, gently he leaned forward and embraced his captain.  Luffy resisted the urge to pull away and instead clenched his eyes closed and endured the contact. Sanji watched wordlessly as Luffy’s face reddened with the effort of allowing the embrace. The cook figured it was the best thing Luffy could give to Usopp right now in ways of an apology or hope. Luffy couldn’t help the tremors that shook his body though and reluctantly Usopp pulled away.  
  
“Thanks.” Usopp whispered and offered a watery smile. Luffy nodded his response, head still bowed.  
  
“Since you’re up,” Sanji spoke quietly and rose to his feet. “There’s some stuff you should know.”  
  
Luffy fiddled with the bed sheets nervously as Sanji circled the bed and sat on the edge of the thin mattress.

“We have to go back.” Sanji finally said. He almost flinched when Luffy’s head snapped up, eyed wide with fright.  
  
“Sanji!” Usopp hissed, his anger obvious. “You said it yourself, you jerk! Luffy isn’t ready for this!”  
  
“He should know.” Sanji replied simply, eyes narrowed at Usopp heatedly. “This is his ship and we’re his crew so ultimately the decision is his and it’s not like I’m asking him to make the decision now. I just think he should know.”

Usopp clenched his fists and glared at the floorboards furiously. He didn’t want to wake his fellow crewmates from their much needed rest by kicking up and argument and so settled back into silence. The rest of the crew could deal with Sanji’s decision when they woke. Seeing no signs of further protest, Sanji continued.  
  
“Nami-san called us together and explained that there’s no way around it. If we want to continue our journey we have to sail through those waters again.”

To say Luffy looked devastated would have been an understatement. What colour he had left in his face drained away at Sanji’s words as his eyes adopted that haunted look the crew had grown used to seeing on their captain over the last few weeks. Sanji clenched his jaw and chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought of his next words.  
  
“There’s no way around it, Luffy.” Sanji explained slowly. “Nami-san said she would look for more information on the island, but as it stands you only have two choices. You can sail those waters again, or your journey can end here.”  
  
Luffy’s head snapped up at the suggestion, the fear in his eyes as clear as any other emotion they’d seen on him.  
  
“I don’t expect an answer from you now – none of us do.” Sanji continued, “But it’s something you should know. The decision is yours to make and you should think it over carefully.”

Luffy nodded as his gaze drifted away from Sanji and flitted back and forth between his slumbering crew. Sanji hated to see Luffy in such turmoil, but ultimately his decision would affect all of their lives, not just his own. They could put off telling him to save him the distress, but he would have to make the decision one way or another anyway so he would rather Luffy think long and hard about it.  
  
Usopp continued to glare heatedly at Sanji but the chef ignored it. Usopp was entitled to feel like he did. It was torture to watch Luffy go through this and everybody’s emotions were running high. Luffy had done nothing but help the people they’d come across – who would want to do something like that to him? They’d sat many times in the first days, guarding Luffy’s recovering body like dogs as they sat and contemplated the possibilities of who and why. Perhaps an old enemy? Was it Kuro? Krieg? The world government, maybe? Just who the hell would have the strength and intelligence to do this to Luffy on _their own_ ship, their _Sunny_ , without even waking any of the remaining crew? It was infuriating. Robin had even been on watch that night, so _nobody_ should have been able to get past her with her devil fruit ability.   
  
All of them just wished Luffy would _tell_ them, would say something – anything! If he could give them some kind of clue, an idea of just what had had taken place that night maybe they could concoct a plan to prevent it from happening again. Right now though it was enough a task for him to just consider the idea of facing those evils again with the possibility that his crew might not be able to prevent whatever happened from happening again.   
  
The first ray of sunlight started to peek through to the Sunny’s infirmary and Sanji palmed at his eyes sleepily. It was going to be a long day.

 

\---

 

“You _what!?_ ”  
  
Nami’s voice echoed across the expanse of the sunlit deck. Sanji didn’t flinch at the scolding from his precious Nami-swan and stood his ground as she stared him down with a fury reserved for those that stole her gold and hurt her nakama.  
  
“He needed to know, Nami-san.” Sanji replied softly.  
  
“Not right now he didn’t!” Nami yelled back as she felt and insetting headache and rubbed her temples. “Luffy’s got more than enough on his plate right now.”  
  
“He’s always been able to clear his plate as long as I’ve known him.” Sanji quipped back, to the navigator’s surprise. “No matter how full.”  
  
“We’re not talking about food here, Sanji- _kun_!” Nami hissed, furious at the chef’s decision to go ahead and tell Luffy of their predicament without his fellow crewmates consent.  
  
“He needed to know.” Sanji stated again and held his ground.  
  
Nami opened her mouth to bite back another argument but Zoro beat her to it. From across the deck he called, “Just what gave you that idea, shitty cook?” There was no anger in his deep voice. His weights shuffled together with soft clinks as he fixed his gaze on Sanji. A quiet storm rumbled within Zoro’s eyes that promised punishment should his answer be less than satisfactory. Sanji contemplated his words before he answered. He had already known that the crew would be furious with his actions, but he didn’t care. Luffy needed to know.  
  
“It’s not fair to do that to him.” He finally answered. “After Usopp told him we would be docking today... his face...”  
  
“But docking is nothing!” Nami protested, as she flailed her arms to emphasise her point.  
  
“It wasn’t ‘nothing’ to him,” Sanji explained and turned to look at Usopp. “I saw the look on his face and so did you, Usopp!”  
  
“What look?” Zoro asked as he set his weights now and stepped forward to join the conversation fully.  
  
“He was terrified...” Usopp admitted. “I thought... I’d hoped that maybe seeing new people... exploring and island would...” he felt foolish and his excuses died in his throat. “I told him we were docking today to resupply and he looked terrified.”  
  
“It’s to be expected after all Luffy-san’s been through.” Brook said suddenly. “It fills me with rage to think that the culprit might be lurking somewhere on that very island.”  
  
“Telling him we’re docking is one thing, bro.” Franky said as he too joined the discussion. “But why did he need to know about going back there? It could have waited.”  
  
“How long?” Sanji answered. “We would have waited one day after another to see another little improvement, too frightened to set him back with news like that! We left telling him about docking until now – hours before we planned to do it! He needs as much time as he can get to make this decision. It might be the biggest choice of his life.”  
  
“We could have waited, Sanji-kun!” Nami argued back. “He didn’t need to know he had to go back to that place yet!”  
  
“That’s the thing, Nami-san,” Sanji answered, his own voice quiet and dull. “He doesn’t.”  
  
His words hit Nami like a ton of bricks. It had never occurred to her that Luffy might not _choose_ to keep going. If somebody had suggested it to her a few weeks ago she’d have laughed in their face but now... Luffy was a different person. The reality knocked the wind from her and the rest of the crew.  
  
“...it’s a big decision.” Sanji said, finally. “He needs to know it’s his to make.”  
  
“Shitty cook.” Zoro mumbled, though he agreed with Sanji’s decision.

“Have we decided on what to do with Luffy-san when we dock?” Brook asked. “I have no business to attend to on this island, so I would be happy to stay aboard the ship with him.”  
  
“If the bastard that attacked Luffy _is_ on this island then they would recognise the flag.” Zoro stated, his body hunched over the rail in thought. It was a tough call.  
  
“We could take turns going on land.” Sanji suggested.  
  
“I need to restock the medical supplies.” Chopper muttered, “But...” he bit his lip nervously. “What if they start attacking us next...?”  
  
“That’s a possibility.” Robin answered. “It would be a good strategy of attack, plucking off the strongest one by one when they are isolated.”  
  
Chopper shivered as a chill ran down his spine. Robin was creepy sometimes! “B-But... we still need to resupply.” He muttered.  
  
“Then maybe the best plan is to bring him with us?” Franky said, though he looked less than pleased with the idea. It was a risk either way – if Luffy caused a scene in public it would attract unwanted attention and his head was worth a juicy bundle of belli to anybody willing to take advantage of his weakened state. From what they’d seen of the island when they’d passed through weeks earlier, Franky had no doubt there would be many willing to try.  
  
They had stopped at the island briefly to resupply the day before Luffy had been attacked. The island was small but dangerous, little more than a rock outcrop in the middle of the ocean. Nothing grew there and so it was left to the imagination as to where the traders that made their home there gathered the supplies they sold to passing ships. It wasn’t hard to guess. The island attracted scavengers, vultures and a selection of unsavoury crowds.   
  
Nami had called it within the first hour they’d been there. She recognised the type – she had been one of them before she met Luffy. It didn’t take sharp eyes to see the shady exchanges or strong ears to hear the gloating of the men. They were people that attacked and pillaged trade ships for gold and supplies. It would definitely be a gamble bringing Luffy among such shady characters as he was now, but the best place for him was with the _entire_ crew. After all, if the attacker had been strong enough to bring Luffy down, there was no telling how a divided crew would stand against them.  
  
The decision fell on Zoro’s shoulders. He exhaled slowly though his nose, eyes closed in thought. He was usually a man of action rather than planning, but with Luffy in his current state this one decision could spell the end for the Strawhat crew.  
  
“We should all stay together.” He finally muttered, but then added, “But we need to resupply on food and medicine first. It would be better to dock in the evening under darkness.”  
  
“The markets aren’t open in the evening... I don’t think there are any wild herbs I can forage.”

Zoro grunted out a noise of displeasure. Under the cover of darkness Luffy would be better protected and their best chance of gathering any information surrounding the attack lay within the drunken thugs that stewed within the bars. There would have to be a compromise.  
  
“If I can make a suggestion, Zoro-kun?” Robin interjected with a calm smile. “Since there is less danger in the day, perhaps a supply party can travel on the Mini Merry whilst the rest of us remain here with Luffy-san?”  
  
“But what about gathering information...?” Nami asked. “That takes care of restocking, but we still need to find out all we can about what’s happened and if anybody knows anything.”  
  
“We’ve no idea if the people that did this are still out there.” Sanji stated as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He would definitely be part of the supply group to gather more food and his precious cigarettes.  
  
“The best chance we have of keeping Luffy-san safe is to protect him as a group.” Robin replied. “Once the supply group returned we could begin preparations for docking at the island and make our way out once night falls. Together.”  
  
A heavy silence hung in the air. Nobody liked the idea of taking Luffy away from the ship in the condition he was in. If he panicked or reacted badly to something it could spell trouble for all of them, but staying on the ship once docked he was a sitting duck. They had no idea of the offenders’ strength and thus no idea if a divided crew could adequately defend him. They could take to the sea once more without any more information but if they were attacked again the consequences could be dire.

“Alright – Chopper, shitty cook, Franky,” Zoro said. “You three can be the supply group. The rest of us will wait here for your return.”  
  
“And tonight?” Nami urged. Though she was anxious about exposing Luffy to the dangers of the island, she was also just as eager to weasel information out of the thugs that inhabited the rock. It was finally something she could do to help. Sitting around doing nothing for these past weeks had been torture, watching Luffy suffer and unable to help in any way. This was finally a way she could contribute.

“Tonight we dock.” Zoro answered.

That statement was enough to spur the group into action. Chopper, Sanji and Franky set off to ready the Mini Merry whilst the rest of the crew busied themselves in preparation for docking that evening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! That took me a while. This chapter was very hard... lots of changes, lots of new content and lots of revision. I hope the changed are welcomed and enjoyed ¦D
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!


	4. A Little Laughter

For the first time in weeks, Luffy rested. The ship bobbed silently in the waves as the crew went about their business quietly, each relieved by their captain’s peaceful sleep. By the time Luffy did stir, Sanji, Chopper and Franky had already departed for the island to resupply. The sunlight filtered in through the infirmary window as it began its slow descent to the west, well into the afternoon. It splashed across Luffy’s face, illuminating his pale skin and rousing him from his slumber. With a sleepy groan Luffy dragged his sticky eyes open and squinted against the sunlight. Rebelliously he rolled over and pulled the thin blanket that covered him over his head and curled his body into a ball. Just as soon as he’d rejected the light he quickly unfurled and sat upright, eyes wide as he realised it had to be well into the day for the sun to shine into the infirmary. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept through a sunrise, having been constantly plagued by nightmares. It felt odd, but good and sparked a gentle rumble of excitement in the pit of his stomach, a quiet hope that finally things were improving.   
  
Slowly Luffy eased himself out of the bed, body still littered with ugly injuries. By now his bandages had began to come loose and Luffy squirmed at the imminent _closeness_ he would have to endure to have them changed. A tremor ran down his spine at the thought but he shook it off and glanced warily at the door. He wondered if they would expect more of him today after all that had happened last night. The thought made him tense and left a heavy feeling over his entire body. It was time to face another day.   
  
The crew left behind were busy with preparations for docking in the hours to come and nobody but Robin noticed as Luffy gingerly crept from the infirmary into the sunlight. She had kept watch vigilantly over her captain through the convenience of her devil fruit ability. It gave Luffy some time to relax on his own without the concerned faces hovering around him, but with the reassurance that he was not completely alone.  
  
“Luffy-san,” Robin greeted gently, so as not to startle to boy. He flinched regardless and turned to the source of the voice. Robin smiled earnestly; just days earlier Luffy had been so withdrawn it would take several attempts to get a reaction from him, if at all. Last night a lot of progress had been made. “Good morning.” she continued.

Luffy gazed to the sun with sleepy eyes, staring at it thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes drifted back to Robin.   
  
“Afternoon,” She elaborated softly. “You slept a long time. Do you feel any better?”  
  
Luffy looked surprised with the question. Since that night he’d felt powerless, out of control. He’d felt weak, sore and above all, frightened. Now with food settled in his tummy (no matter how small or liquefied it had been) and a good rest behind him he _did_ feel a bit better. Strangely he felt more tired now than he had before his rest. It was a different kind of tired, a welcome feeling. Before his sleep was a product of exhaustion as his recovering body screamed for him to rest despite the memories that plagued him in his dreams. It had been a deep exhaustion that soaked its way into his body right down to the bones. The sleepiness that blanketed him now was warm and welcome; the kind of feeling he got when he’d had one too many rums – minus the giddiness. It almost, _almost_ felt good. If the persistent throbbing of his healing wounds weren’t there to remind him of the state his body was in, he might have even smiled, but then that might just have given away too much. After a moment he dipped his head firmly in a swift nod.  
  
Robin’s smile widened at his answer. “You still seem tired. Would you like to rest some more? We won’t be docking until after dark.”  
  
Luffy’s stomach churned and he shook his head with a thick swallow. Robin didn’t miss his quickened breathing or the way his hands fisted and loosened repeatedly in a nervous motion. She was careful not to let her smile fall. What Sanji had said earlier had made a lot of sense to her and she too believed that they shouldn’t be hiding things from Luffy. Whether their damaged Captain liked it or not, he would either have to face his demons as they came or go home. Robin had faith he would make the right decision.  
  
Luffy seemed unsure of what to do next as he chewed over the new information. Robin decided to take the initiative.  
  
“Are you hungry, Luffy-san?” she asked. “Sanji-san prepared breakfast for you before he left.”  
  
Luffy’s brow furrowed in confusion and Robin realised that he probably had no idea some of the crew had gone ahead to the island already.  
  
“We agreed that it would be wiser to restock whilst the markets were out during the day.” She elaborated.  
  
Luffy nodded slowly, accepting the information. The click of the galley door opening startled Luffy and he spun around and hissed as the movement aggravated his lingering burns and wounds. His body until now had been mostly stationary and when he did move it was often slow and lethargic. With a spark of renewed energy his body’s reflexes were slowly returning, much to his disdain as he clutched at a particularly nasty burn on his side that had been stretched; an ugly down-side to his rubbery skin.  
  
Zoro looked over to Luffy as he heard the boy groan in pain. His initial reaction had been one of alarm but he soon calmed upon taking in the sight of Luffy. He didn’t look _good_ , but he looked _better_. He walked towards Luffy, mindful to keep his approach paced and calm.  
  
“Yo, Luffy.” Zoro greeted, his voice unusually gentle. Robin’s presence didn’t go unnoticed and he acknowledged her with a silent nod before he returned his attention to Luffy. “You look like you could use a wash and some fresh bandages. Chopper probably won’t be back for a few hours yet. He didn’t want to wake you, but I can do it if you don’t want to wait.”  
  
Luffy mulled over the offer for a few silent moments before his head dipped in a curt nod again. His bandages were itchy and soggy with sweat and his hair felt grimy and heavy on his head. Washing was a terrifying prospect. The water left him weak and vulnerable – it left him exposed. Though he knew there was little he could do in his current state to defend himself, when he was submerged he could do _nothing_. Zoro could see the uncertainty in Luffy’s eyes as he led him to the washroom. They walked with a heavy silence between them as Luffy tried to remain calm. As they walked into the washroom, both blinked in surprise as they were greeted with the sight of naked Usopp.   
  
“Uh... yo?” Usopp greeted and laughed awkwardly. He had just finished scrubbing up to take a bath himself. He smiled at Luffy and lifted a hand in a static wave. “Need any help?”  
  
Luffy fought the urge to cringe. It was hard enough handling it with once person so close. He left Zoro to answer Usopp as he eased himself down onto a stool and began peeling off his clothes amidst a barrage of soft pained hisses.  
  
Usopp and Zoro watched him in quiet awe. Until now Luffy had been so injured he’d been unable to do anything for himself. Though it was only a small step towards recovery, it was just one more step forward. They waited patiently as Luffy unravelled the soiled bandages and weakly scrubbed at his raw skin. His movements were jerky and slow but both crewmates obediently refrained from commenting as Usopp slipped into the bath and Zoro stood guard by the door. After several minutes Luffy resigned himself to the fact he wouldn’t be able to do everything himself just yet. His body screamed from just the small exertion he’d shown and he reluctantly placed the soap on the floor.   
  
Zoro didn’t need to be asked twice as he kept his sharp eyes trained on Luffy. He saw the exhaustion slowly settle into Luffy’s body at the small act of washing himself and when his captain reached his limit, Zoro moved forward without prompting. He knelt beside Luffy (he’d quickly found out Luffy relaxed more when you were in his line of sight) and set about gently scrubbing his hair and back. His trousers and shirt quickly soaked through as he rinsed Luffy off but he stayed focused on his task, mindful to get it done as quickly as possible without hurting his captain. Though he couldn’t hide his trembling, Luffy dutifully stayed put and endured the contact. Until now, washing him had either been done when he was unconscious, or unresponsive. Any time they’d tried it otherwise had ended in disaster with Luffy injuring himself further.  
  
“You’re doing good, Luffy.” Zoro said, softly, proud at Luffy’s endurance. He didn’t get a response, but that didn’t matter.   
  
Finally he finished cleaning Luffy off and tending to his scabbed burns and injuries. They could end it here and head back to the infirmary but the strain in Luffy’s face gave away the pain he was obviously in. A hot bath would help relax him and ease the aches. Zoro wasn’t about to force his captain into something he wasn’t ready for though.

By now Usopp had soaked for a good while and climbed out of the tub with a content sigh. The silence until now had been easy and comfortable so he hadn’t wanted to break it, but seeing the turmoil between captain and first mate he felt he had to speak up.  
  
“Are you having a bath, Luffy?” he asked and tried to keep his voice normal. He also tried to keep the hope from his voice, not wanting to pressure his fragile Captain after all the progress that had been made.  
  
Luffy’s shoulders rose softly as he sucked in a breath and then sagged as he released it in a heavy sigh. A bath sounded good, but with it he would have to place his trust fully in the hands of his crew to protect him; something he hadn’t been able to do since that night. For a long couple of minutes he didn’t respond, haunted eyes fixed on the soaked bathroom floor as he debated silently. Zoro waited patiently, stoic as ever as he rinsed off the scrubbing brush he’d used to clean Luffy.   
  
Usopp fidgeted nervously. He wondered if perhaps he’d wandered over that fragile line that would cause his best friend to retreat from him again. The dread that settled in his stomach at that prospect rivalled any he’d felt facing up against past enemies. It was more frightening in a way. Physical pain could be anticipated – it healed, but the pain Luffy endured day to day was invisible and unpredictable. It scared Usopp more than anything they’d faced until this point. In a battle of fists he had faith his captain would eventually come out on top. Luffy wasn’t the kind of person to be beaten down and dominated. This battle was something entirely new though. Whatever Luffy had faced that night was still with him, raging an ongoing battle that he was left to quietly fight alone. Finally after last night it seemed as if the battered captain might have reached out for their help in the smallest way, a tiny step in the right direction. One wrong move could slam those doors shut again and shatter the delicate trust that was slowly reweaving between Luffy and his crew. That thought shook Usopp to his core and in a sudden panic that he might have just overstepped that boundary, he let loose a string of stuttered conversation in an attempt to retract his earlier, innocent enquiry.  
  
“O-Of course you don’t _have_ to have a bath, I mean there’s really no _real_ reason if you don’t feel up to it right? I-I mean you’re clean! Completely clean! Squeaky clean! And y-you probably have better things to do like... um, like... e-eat and... sleep and... and... yeah! So just forget I said anything, okay?”  
  
Zoro and Luffy stared comically wide eyed at Usopp as he jabbered on and on and effectively filled the awkward silence. The sudden noise had been so unexpected amongst the tense silence just moments before; at first it had startled Luffy, but now he sat somewhat bewildered by Usopp’s display. Zoro quickly caught on to the cause of the sharpshooters outburst as he too had felt dread slowly creep into his veins just moments earlier. A quick glance to his side flooded Zoro with relief however as he spotted the surprise plastered across Luffy’s face. It was the most ‘normal’ expression he’d shown in weeks. It reminded Zoro of those dense moments when Luffy, who seemed to take everything in his stride, either didn’t understand or was genuinely surprised by something. It was a welcome expression and though Zoro was thankful for Usopp’s outburst bringing out such a normal reaction in Luffy, the babbling had really, _really_ started to irritate him.  
  
“Usopp-”  
  
“I mean, Sanji prepared a great meal for you! I wish I could get personalised meals, it’s like you’re one of the girls...! N-not that I’m calling you a girl or anything because we’re men! _Manly men_!”  
  
“Oi...”  
  
“That’s not to say you should be acting tough or anything! You have to recover more before anything like that... can.... w-well you get what I mean, right? And, uh, food! Right we need to get you fed! Brooke should be on watch by now so we should have some nice muuuuusic whilst we’re eating~ lala~.... lalateeda~”  
  
Zoro’s protest died in his throat as he watched Usopp, stark naked and halfway out of the tub abruptly leapt back into the water and erupted into dance with an invisible partner. Luffy seemed just as quietly perplexed as his head canted softly and his eyebrows knit together. The two watched in a whole new awkward silence as Usopp then morphed into some sort of wriggly worm dance followed by a touch of ballroom. The twilight moment was abruptly ended when Usopp’s foot made contact with a bar of slippery soap hiding beneath sloshing bath water and in just as comical fashion as his earlier dancing the sharpshooter performed an impressive back-flip that ended in a belly-flop back into the tub.  
  
For a brief moment there was silence. Zoro, exasperated and somewhat creeped out by Usopp’s display wondered whether he should investigate if he was in fact okay. A second later he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to go near (and possible catch his crewmates insanity) as Usopp burst from the water with a cry of: “It hurrrrrts!!!” clutching his crooked nose. Both Zoro and Luffy started as a soft yelp escaped Luffy’s lips.   
  
Zoro’s moved towards Usopp in long strides, so intent on giving the idiot a good thump to the head he failed to notice the slight upward curve of Luffy’s lips into a gentle, mischievous smile.  
  
“ _Shishishi..._ ”  
  
Both crewmates froze; Zoro fully clothed and halfway into the tub and Usopp stark naked, half way retreated out of it. They exchanged a shocked glance to one another before their attention fixed on Luffy. It was quiet and withdrawn but that one little sound banished the negativity and tension from the room.  
  
Luffy was laughing.  
  
“You idiot...” Zoro admonished Usopp affectionately.  
  
“Ne, Luffy!” Usopp called, and smiled brightly as Luffy glanced his way, the remnants of a smile still lingering on his face. “How about that bath? I can tell you a story if you like.”  
  
This time the hesitation was brief. Luffy dipped his head slowly in confirmation. A bath would be good. The normality of the situation felt _good_. Luffy was no fool and knew the weight lifted from his heart would not stay away, but for now he felt lighter. Gingerly he stood and carefully made his way across the slippery floor towards his waiting crewmates.

 

\---  
  


Franky glanced across the Mini Merry to Sanji, then Chopper. It was strange to see his usually animated crewmates so reserved and pensive. Even through the past few weeks when the tension had been thick and heavy, every crew member had tried to keep themselves busy; not giving themselves time to think about what had happened. Franky had kept himself locked away in his workroom, unsure how to treat the strong captain he’d chosen to follow that suddenly seemed so frail. His eyes drifted to Sanji’s hands where a cigarette sat pinched loosely between his pointer and ring finger. The chef had been lost in thought and distracted since they’d left the ship that morning. The only words he’d heard Sanji speak had been his interactions with the vendors as he’d resupplied the food stock for the Sunny. Even then his words has been clipped and his thoughts elsewhere. Franky knew what had Sanji so distracted. It was the first time any of them had ventured away from the ship – away from Luffy – since that night. It was obvious that they were all eager to get back to make sure everything was still okay, yet none of them dared suggest cutting their supply trip short. They were pirates and danger was a part of the job description. Luffy was their Captain and in perfectly capable hands that would keep him safe no matter what.

That ominous whispering that had echoed around all of their heads and hearts since that day however, continued to remind them that he hadn’t been safe _that night_ when all of this started. Considering that, he could understand the tension between them now, the anxiety and desire to return to their ship. Understanding however didn’t help ease the heavy tension that had settled between the three crewmates.   
  
Chopper fussed over his new medical supplies as he restocked his small backpack from the large sack of supplies he’d purchased in the town. He’d only had a few moments to assess Luffy’s condition before they’d left that morning and he hadn’t wanted to disturb his captain’s first restful sleep in weeks by touching him. Chopper hadn’t really had time to think since this all started. He’s kept busy with Luffy’s treatment and the concoction of different ointments to ease his pain over the past weeks, but now in the small boat as he finished packing all he could into his small pack he found himself in a dangerous stillness that let his mind wander and feel. Several emotions restrained by his constant motion slowly crept to the surface and probed at his mind, fear, anxiety... anger. A quiet rage bubbled dangerously beneath his surface; it reminded him or back in Drum when he’d lost Hiruluk – his father in all but blood. It reminded him of the rage that swallowed him after he consumed three rumble balls. It frightened him that he felt that same feeling lurking beneath his skin when he thought of what had been done to his precious captain. Beside the rage a heavy lump of fear had also settled in his gut. Sanji’s words from the day before floated around his brain. What if Luffy couldn’t come back from this? What if this was the end of their journey together? Could they really go on without Luffy? Would he really want to? He had been the force that dragged them all together in the first place. Would they slowly become unglued without him?  
  
Franky glanced once again to Chopper as the reindeer shook his head and scrubbed at his eyes with his arm. This was beginning to takes its toll on everybody. It was in times like these that Luffy brought them all together and pushed them through whatever hardships they were facing. Luffy couldn’t do that for them right now though. Franky knew this time they would have to pull themselves through and with a determined nod he turned to face chopper.  
  
“Oi, how about we sing a song?”  
  
“Eh...?” Chopper noised softly. The proposition had been so unexpected it left him speechless and stilled his restless mind.  
  
“A song – we can make our own!”  
  
“Idiot.” Sanji hissed quietly, though never tore his gaze from the distant figure of the Sunny-Go on the horizon. “You want to sing at a time like this!?”  
  
“There’s no better time, pervy-cook!” Franky smirked back. “Our captain needs to see we’re just as strong as we’ve ever been and he can count on us!”  
  
“Luffy... does like music.” Chopper added timidly as he looked from Franky to Sanji.

“We can work out the story and sniper-bro can make it into a song!” Franky suggested.  
  
“A-And Brook can make the music!” Chopper added, his enthusiasm slowly growing.   
  
Sanji offered no more criticism of the idea nor assistance and so Franky and Chopper set about concocting a storyline for their song. Deep down Sanji knew that Franky was just trying to ease the invisible weights that rested on all of their shoulders by returning some normalcy to their day but nevertheless he couldn’t bring himself to join in and kept his eyes on the Sunny as they drew closer.  
  
By the time they were prepared to board Franky and Chopper had fantasised an entire song based around a rubber world where everybody and everything was made of rubber like Luffy. Usopp and Nami, who had come to help unload their new supplies blinked in surprise as the two conversed animatedly over their ideas as though nothing were wrong.   
  
“They’re making a song for Luffy.” Sanji explained blandly as he hauled a large sack of potatoes over his shoulder and walked towards the galley. He had to admit though, listening to the two of them had made his heart feel just a little bit lighter.   
  
“A song?” Nami asked incredulously. Usopp stood beside her, mimicking her disbelief.  
  
“Mm!” Chopper noised as he shifted to walk point so that Franky could load supplies onto his back. “It’s about a rubber world with rubber animals and rubber food! It’s really chewy! You’ve gotta help us make it into a song, Usopp!” Chopper then paused in his enthusiasm as he spotted Usopp’s broken nose. “Ah! What happened to your nose!?”  
  
“Huh? O-Oh... this.... heh, I just fell in the tub... hehe...”  
  
“Oh... that reminds me, I have to bathe Luffy’s injuries...” Chopper muttered, his enthusiasm waning.  
  
“Done!” Usopp chirped, a smile gracing his face. “Zoro helped him wash and he’s using the medicine we have left to treat his injuries before you re-bandage him.”  
  
“He let you wash him??” Franky asked, incredulously. He had been enlisted to help wash Luffy one of the first times they’d tried after that night. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around the possibility that Luffy would willingly climb into a tub with any one of them.  
  
“He got in with me and Zoro but he looked a bit uncomfortable with us both there so I rinsed off and left ‘em to it.” Usopp replied, still smiling. “He even laughed!”  
  
“He laughed?!” Chopper exclaimed, eyes wide. “What did he laugh at?”  
  
“Ah... well... s-something funny of course!” Usopp replied with a cough as he tried to hide the blush that stained his cheeks.  
  
“He laughed?” Sanji repeated chopper’s question. He had returned just in time to hear Usopp’s claim.  
  
“He did! Really!”  
  
Sanji looked doubtfully to Nami for confirmation but she smiled back at him and nodded. Chopper, Usopp and Franky in the meantime had had shared a brief victory dance before they resumed their unloading of supplies amongst excited discussion of their song-to-be. The light wouldn’t last much longer and they had a lot of preparation to complete before their trip inland that night. It was a huge risk they had no choice but to take. It had taken this long to drag Luffy back a few paces from the abyss he’d teetered on since that night but for the first time in what seemed a long time a spark of hope ignited amongst the Strawhat crew.  


	5. The Hat

Luffy watched blandly as the sun dipped closer towards the horizon. The corners of his lips mimicked the orbs motion as they settled into a troubled frown as it slipped slowly behind the distant horizon. The brilliant blue of the sea faded to a murky grey as the sky shifted its colour to a bright orange, soft pink and then deep blood red. It made him feel sick and he swallowed back the wet feeling in his mouth. He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there when they called him. They’d been discussing the events to occur that night and he didn’t want to hear about it. Brook had seemed compliant with most of their ideas and had been the one participating least in the conversation. Luffy was grateful for it as the skeleton had noticed his discomfort and invited him onto the deck. The quiet, melancholy melody that vibrated from his violin strings almost made him feel comfortable but with each pause between one song to the next he couldn’t help but tense. He didn’t dare turn around for fear there may actually be something there... those people from that night.  
  
“Luffy?”  
  
Luffy turned his head slightly to acknowledge the call. It was Chopper.   
  
“Are you alright?” Chopper asked as his hooves clicked loudly against the wood of the Sunny in his approach. Luffy resisted the urge to snort. Was he alright? What a funny question...

“You’ve been out here a long time... do you need any more pain medicine?” the small reindeer pressed.  
  
Luffy blinked and turned to face Chopper fully, only now seeming to come back to himself. The thick bandages stood stark against his naturally tan body. Even pale, Luffy was darker than most of the crew and the gauze seemed to glow under the light of the moon in contrast to his skin. Chopper fidgeted uncomfortably and Luffy realised he was waiting for an answer. He shook his head, answering no. Pain medication would make him drowsy and that was the last thing he wanted away from the familiarity of the ship.

“Luffy-san, you must be getting hungry,” Brook spoke, softly. The soothing melodies came to a halt as the skeleton stood up and stretched. “Ah~! I can play to you more after we eat, if you’d like?”  
  
Luffy released tired sigh and reluctantly nodded. His eyes dragged along the length of the ship and back again with that dull, haunted look that the crew would never grow accustomed to seeing. It was as though the frail hope that had ignited within Luffy had dispersed with the sunset and under the blackness of night all of the torment and terror returned.   
  
Chopper and Brook both followed Luffy’s gaze silently. It was almost as if he could see something lingering within the ship’s shadows that they couldn’t. Brook couldn’t help but feel sorry for his new captain. A captain’s ship was his pride and until all of this happened it was obvious how true that rang with Luffy. Now though the brave captain he knew that resided in the small, battered body before him looked apprehensive, even fearful of what nightmares could lurk behind the doors of his Thousand Sunny, the ship that was to complete all of their dreams. It tugged at his heart... if he had one... yohoho.

“Sanji’s made us a nice meal before we head inland,” Chopper piped up suddenly, then softly, almost timidly he added “A-And when we get back maybe... maybe we could sing our song for you...”

Luffy’s attention lifted slightly at the mention of music and he turned to Chopper curiously. Though tired, his eyes shone with a soft curiosity.  
  
“That’s right, Luffy-san – I’d almost forgotten!” Brook added. “It’s something we’ve been working on all day!”

“Could we... I mean, do you want to hear it?” Chopper asked, hopefully. “When we get back?”  
  
Luffy’s interest seemed peaked at the idea of a song in his honour and a glimmer of the hyperactive captain they were all used to, bubbled to the surface as he offered up a smile and a firm nod. It was dim in comparison to his usual confident grin, but it was a thousand times more than Chopper had hoped for. He had to resist the urge to rush to Luffy for a hug. Luffy though seemed to understand his doctor’s feelings as he walked towards the galley and hesitantly gave his friend a gentle pat on top of his hat before he made his way inside. Brook watched silently with his expressionless bones before he too rose. He followed Luffy’s path and stopped beside Chopper. The reindeer’s body shuddered with sobs as tears flowed freely down his furry cheeks. Whether they were happy or sad tears, brook waited patiently for them to dry before he spoke softly: “Let’s go inside, ne?” Chopper nodded and with a final sniff he followed Brook’s lead into the galley.

The atmosphere as they entered the galley was tense and heavy. Luffy sat at the table and fidgeted uncomfortably as he felt the concerned eyes of the crew boring into him. He hated those looks and they made him nervous. He startled as suddenly a plate was placed in front of him; he hadn’t heard Sanji approach. Luffy dared to brave a quick glance up at the chef and immediately regretted it as he returned his stare to the specially prepared food in front of him. He didn’t like seeing the hurt in his crew’s eyes as he flinched away from them.  
  
“Ah... sorry Luffy.” Sanji spoke, softly. Luffy’s reaction had surprised him. After all the progress they’d made over the past couple of days a part of him had hoped they were passed the point where Luffy seemed _afraid_ of them.

The entire crew seemed to think along the same lines as they settled into an uncomfortable silence. Nobody knew what to say to fracture the tension pulped around them. Nami decided to bite the bullet and fill Luffy in on their plans. Even if he wasn’t a part in deciding them right now he was still their captain.

“We were thinking...” she started, and trailed off as everybody bar Luffy (who found great interest in his pureed dinner) turned their attention toward her. With a frown, she cleared her throat and cemented her resolve. “Luffy,” she started again, and made sure to let him know it was he she was talking to. “We were thinking you could wear a robe.”

Luffy didn’t offer any response and so Nami continued.  
  
“We don’t want to attract any unwanted attention or let on to anybody that you’re vulnerable right now.” She continued. “We’ve no doubt we can protect you from anything out there... but avoidance would be better.”  
  
All eyes turned to Luffy as he pushed the food about his plate with disinterest. Really, how could they expect him to eat when his stomach flopped about inside his skin like a grounded fish. He felt sick. He didn’t want to hear their plans or ideas because he didn’t want to do what they wanted – what they _expected_ him to do.

“Are you not hungry, Luffy?” Chopper asked softly as he noted Luffy’s skin pallor and strained expression.

Luffy swallowed thickly and shook his head firmly before he pushed the plate away. He could feel Sanji’s eyes burning in the back of his neck and he was sorry he couldn’t eat his cook’s food. Sanji was the best cook in the world who _cooked_ the best food in the world and it only made his insides clench harder at the thought he was letting him down. He was letting them all down. He was their captain – he was supposed to lead them, not the other way around! The stress mounted and along with their expectant looks mingled with disappointment and that sickening blend of worry and fear. With a violent lurch his stomach expelled the undigested remnants of the protein drink Sanji had prepared him after his bath.

Luffy’s panting breath wheezed loudly in the otherwise silent room as he coughed weakly and let out a soft groan as his wounds ached. He could practically _feel_ the vibes of disappointment oozing from his crew. Robin was the first to speak as she stood from her seat.

“I don’t think our captain is quite ready for this yet,” she said. Her tone was pleasant but laced with a dangerous warning. “Nevertheless since we still must go inland I think perhaps we should begin preparations.”

“C’mon chopper,” Usopp said as he too stood and grabbed the small reindeer’s hoof. “Let’s go get dressed and make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need.”

“Uh... right...” Chopper answered as he was tugged up from his seat reluctantly. He didn’t want to get ready; he wanted to stay by Luffy – what if he had a fever again? “But...”  
  
“We can work on Luffy’s song, ne?” Usopp urged. “I mean, it’s not quite perfect yet, is it?”  
  
“I... I guess...” Chopper answered as the pair made their way from the galley.

Franky was the next to make a move as he pushed away from the wall he’s been leaning on and stretched out his muscles. “I’m gonna go prepare the ship for sail.” He explained. “You wanna help, Skeleton-bro?”  
  
“I’d be glad to – yohoho!” Brook answered as he followed Franky out.

Nobody else made a move to leave and Robin glanced from Nami to Zoro to Sanji and a back again. Her eyes settled on Sanji. The chef stared at the untouched puree discarded on the table with obvious disappointment. His arms hung loosely at his sides and his lips pursed in a tight white line. She had no doubt the disappointment was not directed at Luffy was at himself for not preparing something so utterly appetizing that Luffy wouldn’t be able to resist, no matter how ill.  
  
“Sanji?” Robin called softly and smiled at the chef. “Could I have a coffee?”  
  
Sanji seemed adequately baffled by the sudden request but quickly shook himself from his stupor and nodded. “Of course, Robin-chan.” He answered and turned to begin preparation of the coffee. The room settled into a soft silence again save from the quiet clinking of Sanji. Zoro wordlessly made his way to the cupboard and grabbed an old cleaning rag. He walked over to Luffy, mindful to keep in his line of sight before he knelt down and began to clean up the small puddle of vomit.

Luffy watched the top of Zoro’s head tiredly. His whole body thrummed with a symphony of aches and pains. Today had been exhausting and he’d like nothing more than to sleep, but they would be heading inland soon and things would only be worse if he had a nightmare (if he could sleep at all).

“I’m sorry, Luffy.” Nami whispered suddenly. She cradled her head in her hands, elbows leaning heavily on the table. “But you know there’s no other way, right? Things... don’t seem so bad in the day. _You_ don’t seem so bad in the day but we need to get information if we’re going to beat this... whatever _this_ is.”

“We know you don’t want to go.” Zoro added as he lifted his head to look into Luffy’s eyes. He didn’t flinch when Luffy broke the eye contact. “I don’t know what scared you so bad, but I want to. I want to cut them into a thousand pieces--”

“And I’d cook them up for lunch.” Sanji interrupted.  
  
Zoro smirked before he continued. “We won’t think any less of you if you want to run away from this one, but we need to know what you want us to do. You’re our captain – future pirate King, remember?”

Those words caused Luffy to physically flinch as if burned. Shanks’ face ghosted in his vision and Luffy reached up absently to feel for his hat that wasn’t there. He’d barely noticed whether its comforting weight had been on his head or not these past weeks and a sudden surge of panic made him want it. He wanted something physical to cling to – a reminder of the promise he made and the feelings he felt before all of this started. He stood suddenly, knocking over the chair he’d sat on. The remaining crew watched apprehensively as he looked around the galley before he headed for the door. His hat was in the cabin.

“Oi, oi!” Zoro muttered softly, but urgently. He jogged quickly to catch up with his suddenly very agile captain as Luffy made his way out onto the deck. He didn’t want Luffy out there alone. Quietly though he was pleased at Luffy’s action. His distraction had worried them all and to be distraction to the point where he hadn’t even realised the absence of his precious ‘Boshi’ had disturbed them all. It may have been only a moment of panic that surged Luffy to go outside alone to retrieve his hat but in Zoro’s eyes it was just one tiny step closer to the confident soul buried deep inside Luffy’s battered body.

By the time Usopp and Chopper had finished dressing, Luffy and Zoro had retrieved Luffy’s hat and returned to the galley. An apprehensive silence had settled amongst the crew present and Usopp could feel it as soon as he walked in the room. It was suffocating. Silently his eyes darted from Nami to Zoro to Sanji and then finally Robin, searching for answers. When nobody offered him any he tentatively pulled out a chair to sit, careful not to make too much noise. The air felt electric, as if any wrong move could set off an explosion. It made his heart race though he didn’t know whether it was from excitement or fear. Something felt different around Luffy suddenly. Chopper sensed it just as well as Usopp and crawled onto the liar’s lap.

Luffy didn’t pay notice to his crewmates’ entrance. His head was bowed which caused his dishevelled hair to shadow his eyes. Bandaged fingers crunched softly against the battered straw of his hat – his treasure – that he held in his hand, caressing the rim in deep contemplation. Luffy stood; the action was so sudden that each crew member reacted physically. Usopp too lurched to his feet, clutching Chopper to his chest like an oversized teddy bear and knocking over the chair he’d sat on. Zoro, who had been leaning against wall with folded arm pushed away to stand straight and took a subtle step closer to his captain. Nami’s head which had rested against her hand clasped together as if in prayer, snapped up, eyes wide and glassy with tears. Sanji paused mid-movement in passing a washed dish for Robin to dry and the pair half turned to see what would happen next.

Luffy stared hard at the hat in his hands. It bore scars and looked as battered as Luffy was himself... yet here it was. It had been put back together a hundred times by Nami – protected a thousand times by his crew. Once again it bounced back; it had been crushed that night, he remembered. This little hat was so strong Luffy felt he didn’t deserve to wear it. Shanks had entrusted it to him and in that trust Luffy had returned a promise and built a dream. Now he was watching that dream crumble from the inside out as his crew desperately tried to rebuild it and lift him back onto the pedestal he’d fallen from. Up there he had been untouchable. People could destroy his body but his dream still shone unwavering. It was time he started to climb back up to that point on his own instead of relying on the backs of his crew to carry him. Luffy had no delusions that it would be easy or that he could go back to how he had been overnight. He felt the cold hand of fear squeeze around his throat every time somebody wandered too close but until now he’d let it take hold and tighten. The Pirate King was the man with the most freedom in all the seas... a Pirate King wouldn’t let fear hold him back. Luffy released a heavy sigh. He glanced around at his crew’s apprehensive faces and knowing what it would mean to them, he placed the hat on his head.

For a moment that lingered long enough to feel awkward, nobody spoke or moved. Finally Zoro broke the tension as he stepped forward a fresh hope shining in his eyes, though his face remained passive.

“You sure this is what you want?” he asked. Luffy nodded resolutely, though the faint tremble of his body gave away the magnitude of the inner battle waging inside Luffy.

“You should eat something...” Sanji pressed, though he wouldn’t force Luffy if he didn’t want to. To Sanji’s surprise Luffy once again nodded, though he didn’t turn to face the cook.  
  
“W-We’ll get you some clothes from the cabin...!” Usopp enthused, suddenly very animated as the tiny flicker of hope that had almost been snuffed out roared to life once more.   
  
“I’ll inform Franky and Brook that tonight will be going as planned.” Robin said as she walked to the table and sipped the last of her coffee. As she finished she moved behind Nami and paused before she placed a hand on her shoulder. “Would you come with me?”

“I could use a bit of fresh air.” Nami replied and flashed a tired smile at Robin.  
  
Sanji delivered Luffy’s food to the table and Luffy sat down again. He struggled to eat even the small portion Sanji had packed full of nutrients that would help him recover, but stubbornly persisted in pushing one mouthful after another past his lips. Zoro sat opposite Luffy and to Sanji’s surprise, when he moved to sit down, Luffy shifted on the bench to give him room to sit beside him. Though Sanji couldn’t see Luffy’s face under rim of his hat as he sat down, he was close enough to feel his captain’s tremble. He’d never felt more pride in the rubber idiot.

As he finished the food Luffy pushed the plate away from him and willed his stomach not to reject it. He would need the strength to get through tonight – each day would be taken one and a time from here on out. There was one thing he was certain of though. His journey wasn’t going to end here.


	6. Journey To The Town

Usopp felt a shiver crawl across his body as a chilly gust of wind swept across the beach. In the warmth of their cabins he hadn’t thought to dress for the cool night air and quickly regretted his decision to wear a baggy vest with an audible ‘ _brrr!_ ’. Luffy stood beside him silently watching as the remaining crew made their way to land. They had docked a mile or so off the back of the island and made their way inland via the Mini Merry. Since the small boat could hold a maximum of four people however the journey inland had to be made twice.

Initially the crew had planned to dock the Thousand Sunny at the main harbour, though with their current bounties and their crews reputation it could garner a lot of attention. That was the last thing they needed with Luffy in his weakened state. Many a bounty hunter would easily take advantage of such a situation to reap Luffy’s bounty and so they had decided to subtly make their way into town from the back of the island. Nami had been the one to suggest leaving the ship a ways out to sea. This island was full of thugs, thieves and outlaws of all kinds. Not one would hesitate to try and steal their grand Thousand Sunny, though the Mini Merry could be hidden.   
  
As the remaining crew climbed out of the Mini Merry Zoro hoisted the boat up onto his shoulder and followed Nami’s direction – _“No, that’s the wrong way, idiot!” –_ as best he could to its hiding place until they were ready to head back.  
  
“It’s cold, ne?”  
  
Luffy startled at the soft voice of his sharpshooter. He’d forgotten Usopp was standing beside him, and at some point Usopp had shifted closer (perhaps hoping to share in Luffy’s body heat?). Usopp smiled sheepishly and raised his hands, wiggling his fingers.  
  
“Did I scare ya?” he asked, his voice playful.  
  
Some night ago Luffy would have shied away at such a question, but it was a welcome act of normalcy and so instead he tilted his head gently and the edges of his lips quirked up in a weak smile. Usopp lowered his arms again and grinned back, obviously happy with Luffy’s response. It wasn’t so long ago his young captain seemed totally lost to them, trapped in his own world of fear and torment.  
  
“I shoulda worn something warmer!” Usopp whined as another breeze swept across the beach. His eyes then widened slightly and he turned to face Luffy, concerned. “Are you warm enough?”  
  
Luffy was taken aback by the sudden question. He blinked in surprise and nodded mutely. Usopp had dug him out a heavy old robe he’d picked up some months back. It served a double purpose, keeping Luffy warm and hiding his battered body from the eyes of anybody who might wish to take advantage of such an opportunity.  
  
“Ah, good!” Usopp said as his smile returned and he turned to watch the rest of the crew conceal the Mini Merry’s hiding place.   
  
Luffy watched him for a while, eyes softening as he caught the slight tremor that ran through Usopp’s body from the chill in the air. He gingerly took a step closer to Usopp and in a small moment of courage he reached out, shoulder to shoulder with his friend and took his hand. Usopp Turned to face him then, the crew forgotten. His eyes searched Luffy’s face before they darted down to their clasped hands and then back again. He smiled widely and turned his attention back to the crew, returning Luffy’s grip. Luffy was glad he hadn’t made a big deal of the action and when the crew were finished and headed towards them he was glad again as Usopp released him when he pulled away.  
  
“So, what’s the plan?” Franky asked. He didn’t seem fazed at all by the cold as he stood proudly in his speedo.  
  
“It’s not too far into town from here.” Sanji answered, and raised an arm to point in the direction they would be going. “We can take the mountain path to get there faster but the path is steep and pretty untouched. We would have to pass through a cave too. There’s an easier trail around the mountain, though that would take a couple hours.”  
  
The crew shared a silent conversation with their eyes and came to a quick agreement.  
  
“You think you can handle a couple hours walk, Captain?” Zoro asked, his eyes holding a rare, gentle expression.  
  
Luffy didn’t give any verbal response as he stared up at the trail. Silently he nodded his consent and without any spoken word they began to walk. Though none of them really seemed to notice, they settled into a formation around Luffy like a human shield. They came to a fork in the trail not five minutes into their walk where the path moved off into the trees that grew at the base of the mountain. The foliage around the trunks was thick and tangled, though Luffy could see they had been recently passed through. This had probably been the route Sanji, Chopper and Franky had taken. With only a moment’s hesitation, Luffy turned and walked towards the mountain path.  
  
“O-Oi, Luffy!” Chopper called softly. “That’s the wrong way!”  
  
Luffy stopped and looked back and Chopper, then to his crew before he faced front and started to walk again. Zoro was the first to react as he jogged to catch up with Luffy, a smirk on his face, his feeling evident as he walked proudly beside his captain. The rest of the crew quickly followed suit.

Thought the path was steep, the foliage wasn’t a problem as Luffy’s crew demolished every branch or root that dared to block his path. By the time they reached the cave however, Luffy had broken out in a sweat and was obviously exhausted from the travel. They paused at the cave mouth and he leaned heavily against the cragged wall to catch his breath. They had only been walking twenty minutes but with Luffy’s body still badly injured it had been an arduous journey for him, though he tried not to show it.

The crew were quick to occupy themselves with frivolous tasks and another time Luffy might have been embarrassed by their silent support. A captain should be backed by his crew, but never pulled along by them. He should always be leading the pack. Luffy however was too exhausted by his short exertion to muster the effort to worry of what his crew would think of him as he eased himself down onto a jagged boulder that rested beside the caves mouth.  
  
“Luffy-san?”  
  
Leaning back against the cave wall as he was Luffy had almost drifted into a light slumber. As he dragged his eyes open again he was grateful to see after a quick glance that none of the crew seemed to have noticed. He returned his gaze to the one that had disturbed his rest. Brook stood before him, his tall form silhouetted by the moon.  
  
“Would you like a drink, Luffy-san?” Brook pressed, and held out a small flask.  
  
Luffy warily watched the skeleton. In a way Brook had been both the hardest and the easiest to deal with since this whole thing started. He hadn’t been with them long and the trust between them had been freshly weaved. Like a threadbare net, when Luffy fell against Brook their bond was fragile and tentative and so the heavier Luffy fell the easier it tore. Luffy knew Brook must have felt out of place since that night. He was Brook’s new captain, the man who was supposed to lead him to his dreams along with the rest of the crew. For Brook though, Luffy imagined it was like stumbling around in the pitch black, not sure how to place each foot in front of the other lest he might fall or cause damage; and so he stayed still. Their fragile bond stayed that way and though Luffy felt bad about it, he also felt a small prick of relief. The strongest nets in his crew still bore his weight and it hurt him to watch them strain as the burden grew heavier and took its toll. Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp and Chopper; his first five. Their bond was set in steel and hard as diamond. He trusted all his crew the same, but time strengthens bonds like nothing else and as he watched Brook’s expressionless face as the skeleton offered him his flask he had to fight back the tremor in his hand as he moved to accept it.

“I’m very proud of you, Luffy-san.” Brook said suddenly, his voice hushed so as not to attract the attention of his crewmates. His tone was unusually serious as he stood before Luffy. “You still have my faith and I’m sure the rest of the crew feel the same. I don’t regret my decision to join this crew.”

Luffy swallowed down a mouthful of water past the lump in his throat that had swelled with Brook’s words. He blinked rapidly as his eyes stung with unshed tears and wished he could tell his musician just how much that meant to him. Instead he offered his newest crewmate a shaky nod and moved to stand. Brook resisted the urge the try and help as Luffy’s limbs trembled with fatigue. He neither wanted to startle his young captain by invading his space nor insult him by thwarting his attempt at putting up a strong front for his crew’s sake.

As Luffy stood, the crews hushed conversations stilled and once again as he made his way into the blackness of the cave they fell into step behind him; as their pace settled into an easy walk the conversation picked up once more. Luffy could hear Brooks gentle humming behind him to his left and the clink of Zoro’s katana behind and to the right. Directly behind him Usopp whispered tales of terror into Chopper’s ears about cave beasts that enjoyed reindeer meat (much to Chopper’s horror. Usopp hesitated briefly in his tale and Luffy could feel his tanned friend’ eyes on him before he continued. Luffy was grateful that Usopp hadn’t stopped on his behalf. The story didn’t frighten him. He had bigger demons haunting his thoughts. Unfortunately chopper didn’t share his opinion and with a small shriek of terror as Usopp’s story peaked the furry doctor leap onto a stony faced Zoro’s head. Zoro huffed quietly but didn’t bother to protest as Chopper settled on his shoulders. A little further behind he could hear Nami and Robin talking quietly flanked on either side by Sanji and Franky.   
  
Their journey through the cave though awkward and clumsy hindered by the darkness, was brief and uneventful. Chopper glanced worriedly Luffy’s way as he coughed wetly. The air in the cave was damp and heavy with dust and grime. Luffy though trying hard to appear strong was still in a weakened state. Though Chopper felt a bubble of pride at Luffy’s strength he also felt an uncomfortable churn of concern as the doctor part of his brain listed all the complications that could arise from their journey inland for Luffy. If he had his way he would be in walking point with Luffy on his back but that would only squash Luffy’s valiant attempt to reclaim his role as their captain and so with a heavy sigh he focussed on preparing a mental to-do list for when they returned to the ship. Luffy’s bandages were definitely the top of the list as though protected by the robe draped around his skinny frame he didn’t doubt the damp air would moisten them.   
  
Chopper suddenly felt a calloused hand on his back and glanced down at Zoro’s head. Zoro didn’t say a word though offered the small doctor silent reassurance with a few firm pats to the back before he lowered his arm again the rest against the hilt of his katana. Chopper understood the message loud and clear. They had to have faith in Luffy now without question. Chopper honestly didn’t know how Zoro kept his faith so strong in times like these, but he hoped he could draw strength from the man’s own. Resolutely he steeled himself to brace the rest of night without fussing over his injured captain.

Before long the moonlight illuminated the small exit at the other end. Luffy resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. Soon they would be in town and though the prospect of being surrounded by thugs and thieves didn’t thrill him in his current state he couldn’t deny that his body would be grateful to rest. Gingerly, Luffy crouched and crawled through the small cave exit. As he climbed to his feet again his legs shuddered with exhaustion and he quickly locating a cragged outcropping of stone to rest on before they gave out. Under the glow of the moonlight his skin glistened with sweat revealing just how much the short trek had taken from him. He watched tiredly as one by one his crew squeezed out from the cave. That was until it was Franky’s turn. Try as he might the cyborg couldn’t seem to force his bulky body through the small passage and as he attempted to reverse his way out feet first he only ended up wedging himself tight enough to get stuck as he blocked up the exit like a corked bottle.  
  
Nami huffed as she watched Franky’s leg’s flail around like wild animated noodles in an attempt to free himself and was about the bark out an order for Sanji to kick the rock in when a rusty cackle interrupted her thoughts.

All heads twisted to the foreign laughter and body’s tensed as more than two dozen men emerged from the trees between the town and cave. Under normal circumstances this sort of situation would be considered play for the straw hats but with Luffy to precariously defenceless all ideas of contest and games of who could beat down more of their enemies evaporated. Unconsciously the crew moved protectively in front of Luffy. It was an action unmissed by their foes.

“Well, well lads. What ‘ave we ‘ere?” the bandit drawled obnoxiously. “Never thought I’d see the like o’ yours in these parts, Straw’ats.”  
  
“What’s it to you?” Sanji spat back as he chewed the butt of an unlit cigarette and subtly tapped the tip of his shoes against the ground, preparing to fend off any sudden attacks. With the recent increase in their bounties he’d expected people to recognise them, but he hadn’t anticipated that they would encounter anybody _before_ they reached the town.  
  
“Your ‘eads are up for a pretty penny don’t’cha know!” the bandit drawled, stepping close enough for them to see the grimy yellow of his teeth as he grinned. “Pickin’ up a bounty of any one of ya would fetch a good time, but...” he trailed off here, his eyes wandering to Luffy as his slimy grin stretched across his face. “The ‘ead of your captain would set us all up pretty good.”  
  
Nami chanced a quick glance Luffy’s way and resisted the urge to curse. It was obvious to any onlooker right now that Luffy wasn’t right. His body trembled with fatigue and dark circles stood out painfully against the pallor of his skin. The sweat on his face was beginning to dry but if the pink tinge to his cheeks was anything to go by, his exertion might just have welcomed back the fever he’d been fighting on and off the past few weeks. He looked awful physically, but to Nami’s surprise his face didn’t show any of the terror she’d been expecting to see. If anything Luffy looked somewhat annoyed, his eyebrows creasing together as he panted softly, trying to regain composure.  
  
“Straw’at Luffy, eh?” the bandit breathed, his voice rattling. You could almost see the beli in his eyes as he stared fixatedly at Luffy. “Heh, ‘e don’t look so tough now.”  
  
Zoro side-stepped into the line of sight between the bandit and Luffy, effectively blocking his captain from sight. Fury blazed in the swordsman’s eyes at the blatant threat this fool was making. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his katana and his eyes narrowed in a silent threat.   
  
“O-Oi!” Usopp called suddenly. “We’re surrounded!”  
  
Luffy looked around wearily as more shadows seemed to melt from the trees another dozen at least. A cold wind rushed through the air, rustling the trees and chilling his sweaty body.  
  
“Get ‘em, boys!”  
  
That was the only warning Luffy had before his eyes widened as a hulk of a man charged from the trees behind him with a warbling battle cry, spiked club held high before he thrust it forward with all his might towards Luffy’s head.


	7. No Mercy

_\---_

_“Get ‘em, boys!”_  
  
That was the only warning Luffy had before his eyes widened as a hulk of a man charged from the trees behind him with a warbling battle cry, spiked club held high before he thrust it forward with all his might towards Luffy’s head.

 

\---

 

Chopper didn’t register that his body had moved until he felt the acrid liquid inside the rumble ball slipping down his throat and Luffy’s attacker tangled in his oversized horns. For once he harboured no hesitation or restraint in his attack as he thrashed the screaming man around in his horns, piercing his body more than once before he jerked his head hard enough to send the oaf hurtling back into the trees from where he came.   
  
For a moment the scene appeared frozen, both the Strawhats and their attackers awed at Chopper’s transformation. For the bandits it was merely a surprise that the little reindeer was more than a cute pet for the oddball pirate troupe that was the Strawhats, but for the crew it was a whole other level of awe. They had seen Chopper fight countless times before, but never with such ferocity. Right now he looked every part as dangerous as his Monster form condensed into the smaller version that was ‘horn point’. Chopper seemed consumed by instinct and emotion as though he had cast aside the logical thought that usually ruled his mind. He snorted loudly, large body hunched protectively before his captain and beat the ground with his hand and jerked his head once more in a silent warning as blood dribbled from his horns. Usopp couldn’t be sure, but he could have sworn he heard his usually placid friend growl. In that moment the reindeer looked every part the wild animal he was before he ever ate the devil fruit.   
  
As fast as it had come the moment was over as the slimy bandit that had spoken before roared furiously at his men. “Get ‘em I said, you snivellin’ bastards! Get ‘im!” he spat and jerked he arm, finger outstretched in Luffy’s direction.  
  
The entire scene erupted then; blades clashed with deafening screeches, bodies thumped to the ground and flew through the air, slamming into the trees they’d emerged from. Robin stood a little ways to Luffy’s left, close enough to hear her mutter her attacks followed by the brunching of bones and agonised screams of her victims. Luffy watched on as though caught in a daze. His body remained still, an odd sense of calm settled deep into his bones. Chopper wrestled in front of him with a huge burly bandit twice Franky’s size.

At the thought of his shipwright Luffy glanced to his right where Franky’s legs and backside flailed uselessly, still corked in the cave’s exit. He almost felt a bubble of laughter rise in his stomach but he found himself attentive to the fight before him once again as Chopper was forced back, allowing Luffy to see the entire fight playing out before him. His eyes drifted over the mass of moving bodies and though he couldn’t see Usopp, he could definitely make out the shrill cry of his attacks and the familiar ‘twang’ of each shot as it was fired.

A high pitched scream drew his attention entirely and his muscles clenched in response, his body aching to track down its owner; Nami. His eyes found her first, the vibrant shade of her hair stood stark against the earthy colours that surrounded her. A flash of panic surged through Luffy’s body that sent his heart racing. Nami was pinned to the ground under the weight of one of the bandits as he sneered and muttered something Luffy couldn’t make out into her ear, one hand grabbing roughly at her chest. Then Nami looked scared.  
  
The next thing Luffy realised, his fist held that familiar tingle of having met with something hard and he stood over Nami, one leg on either side of her body and arm outstretched in the remnants of a punch. He didn’t have time to contemplate just how he had got there as a bandit moved to jump him from behind. His first instinct was to dodge, but a startled cry of his name from below reminded him that she would most likely end up taking some brunt of that attack if he did. Instead he stood his ground and slipped into a familiar fighting stance, knees bent and prepared to take the impact. A fist connected with his face and Luffy felt his body bend backwards in response. He didn’t fight the motion as his back arched, though grunted softly as he felt a couple of stitches in his chest bust. The attack was nothing to his rubber body as it absorbed the impact, though his burns protested the motion. In half a second it was over as his body rebound the motion and his forehead collided with his attacker’s nose as he bounced back upright like a rubber band. The man yelled, and staggered back, clutching his face as blood seeped between his fingers.  
  
The fighting around them fizzled out slowly as the rest of the bandits were taken care of and Luffy felt the adrenaline that pumped into his body slowly leaking away. He staggered back as his legs finally gave way and landed on his rear with a thump beside Nami. The navigator was quick to move as she scrambled to her knees in front of Luffy and cupped his face in her hands. The fighting was finished now, Luffy realised as the crew gathered around him fretfully. Nami was saying something but he could only hear the blood rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heartbeat. His body screamed in protest now, his arms quivering behind him as they held him upright in a sitting position. He looked up at the concerned faces of his crew that surrounded him and then back to Nami. The roar of blood in his ears dulled as his ragged breathing slowed to a pant and he could finally make out her words. She was asking him if he was alright; she was crying, he realised. Numbly, he nodded and the whole crew seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.   
  
A loud crashing to his side made Luffy flinch suddenly but he quickly relaxed as he saw Franky emerge from the crumbled cave entrance as Sanji followed behind him muttering profanities about the cyborg’s fat ass.

“Look at you... you’re a mess!” Nami muttered softly, and in rare moment of gentleness, she used the wrist of her sleeve to wipe away some blood scattered about Luffy’s forehead when he’d head-butted his attacker.   
  
A small slither of panic settled in Luffy’s stomach at the touch, but a glance around at his tousled crew calmed the feeling. It was an odd sensation; for weeks now his crew had been nothing but a source of terror, but as his eyes settled on wet blood that stained Chopper’s antlers he felt calm wash over him. They had protected him. He sat placidly as Nami wiped away the bandit’s blood and then stepped back. Luffy looked up at the smiling, relieved faces of his crew but tilted his head in a confused manner as their faces suddenly fell, they’re eyes widening. A muddy arm suddenly closed around his throat and he winced as he was hoisted to his feet and then off the ground, held in a choking grip around his neck by none other than the slimy bandit that had started the whole fight.

“Where the hell did he come from?!” Usopp squawked, panic evident in his voice as he noticed the blade clutched in the man’s hand and held all too close to Luffy’s neck.  
  
“He’s a devil fruit user...” Robin answered as she figured it out herself. “Some kind of earth variation...?” she mused, though the tension in her body gave away the concern lacking in her tone.  
  
“That’s right little lady!” the bandit grouched. “Your crew ‘ere did a number on me men so I think I’ll cash in yer captain’s ‘ead and fix me up some new ones.”

Nobody dared to move as the blade bit into Luffy’s neck causing a fine trickle of blood to roll down his neck. Blood was slowly staining Luffy’s shirt through his bandages from the busted stitches in his chest and Chopper watched anxiously as they all waited for a chance to do something. Luffy was the one to give them that chance as he slammed his head back into the bandits face. In his shock, the man dropped his devil fruit ability, obviously not skilled with his control over it and at the sight of solid flesh before his eyes, Luffy clamped his teeth down on the man’s arm hard enough to draw blood. The bandit erupted with a loud scream as Luffy’s teeth crunched down hard enough that he felt the bones begin to give way. He didn’t have a chance to worry about it though as Zoro swept forward and with one graceful motion his blade plunged into the man’s torso. There was a moment of pause as the bandit seemed to comprehend his fate before Zoro pulled upward mercilessly, effectively slicing the man’s torso in half as his blade exited through his shoulder. There would be no mercy for the likes of any man that truly threatened their captain, especially in his current state.  
  
Luffy’s legs buckled without the support and Zoro lunged forward, capturing him in his free arm. Luffy emitted a loud hiss of pain as his chest wound was jostled once again. Slowly Zoro lowered him to the ground and Luffy eased himself to lie on the floor. Chopper pushed past the rest of the crew as they hovered close enough to see how Luffy was, but far enough to give him space to breathe and not feel trapped. Zoro remained knelt dutifully beside his head, watching over Luffy as he’d always done.   
  
“Well, that could have gone better.” Sanji remarked, glaring at the body of the bandit. He looked back to Chopper and sighed. “What’s the damage?”  
  
“He’s busted a couple stitches in his chest again.” Chopper mumbled back as he sought out the suture kit from his bag. This kind of injury couldn’t wait. “Other than that there’s a nick on his neck from the knife and he aggravated some of the burns.”  
  
Chopper heard a collective sigh of relief behind him as he pulled a needle from his bag. He was amazed that Luffy had remained so calm throughout the ordeal – he had even fought! It brought a soft smile to his face. To his surprise however, as he moved to inject Luffy with a pain killer/numbing agent so that he could repair the damage to his sutures with minimal pain, his captain flinched away, watching him warily.  
  
“I... It’s a pain killer, Luffy,” he tried to explain. “I have to fix those sutures...”  
  
Luffy glanced briefly at the needle and back to Chopper before he shook his head firmly. Choppers eyes widened. Luffy couldn’t deny this kind of treatment – the wound could get infected – his heart could--!  
  
“He wants you to do it without the medicine.” Zoro spoke up, suddenly. He had seen the look Luffy had given Chopper, but more importantly he had seen the look directed at that needle.  
  
“Eh...?” Chopper noised, broken from his panicked thoughts. He looked from Zoro to Luffy in confusion. “But, the pain... Luffy, it’ll be painful...”

Luffy nodded; he understood that. Chopper’s stomach clenched uncomfortably. It wasn’t like he hadn’t sewn up his crewmembers without pain relief before. Emergencies on the battlefield called for immediate action. He hadn’t done it before under a safe situation though, and he didn’t want to cause Luffy any more pain than necessary.  
  
“Are you sure?” Zoro asked quietly.

Luffy nodded resolutely and fixed his gaze on the moon above as Chopper reluctantly set to work. His fingers bit into the grass and earth beneath him as the needle pierced his skin, but much to the crew’s awe he didn’t seem bothered by their closeness or too distressed by the obvious pain. Zoro hadn’t once taken his eyes from Luffy’s face and as Chopper started to finish up his work, he spoke.  
  
“Do you think you can walk?” he asked.  
  
Luffy shook his head. There wasn’t a chance in hell he could walk; not yet anyway.  
  
“You shouldn’t try to move just yet anyway Luffy.” Chopper added as he began packing his tools away. He paused briefly and scrutinised Luffy’s face. “You look tired...”  
  
It was the understatement of the century. His body was a mess and even that small exertion topped with their earlier trek just to get here, Luffy was exhausted. With each blink it took more effort to drag his lids back open. He didn’t look like he had the strength to raise his head let alone resume their journey into town.  
  
“So... what now?” Nami voiced the question they’d all mulled over. “Do we head back? We can’t go on with Luffy like this... it would draw too much attention and he’s been injured.”  
  
“What do you want to do, Luffy?” Robin asked, gently as she too crouched beside Luffy.  
  
He glanced at her and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. What did he want to do? He wanted to sleep.  
  
“Should we turn back?” she elaborated, seeing her captain’s obvious confusion. It seemed his exhaustion was affecting him more by the minute.  
  
Luffy pondered the question. He hadn’t wanted to do this in the first place - he didn’t want to have to do it again! Sluggishly he tipped his head from side to side; no.  
  
“Maybe...” Usopp interjected, then more self consciously as all eyes turned on him. “Uh, maybe... maybe if he got a couple hours rest he might feel... better?”  
  
All eyes turned back to Luffy. His eyes which had been on Usopp drifted back to the moon above as his brow furrowed in thought. He _did_ want to sleep.  
  
“If we could make it just a little closer to the town we might be able to work out a plan so that we can get something productive out of tonight other than ridding the world of scum like these idiots.” Sanji mused as his gestured at the bodies around them with one hand. Only the boss had been killed to his knowledge but he doubted the rest would be up and mobile any time soon.  
  
“I could move him!” Chopper offered enthusiastically. He’d loathed watching Luffy struggle in their earlier trek and had wished he could have made the same offer then.

“I don’t think he can sit up right now.” Zoro replied, “And I doubt he would be comfortable being carried by walking point.”  
  
Chopper deflated, though he understood Zoro was right.  
  
“If you want, I can carry you on my back, Luffy.” Zoro offered. It was a bold statement. Touch was only a recently granted privilege between captain and crew and with Luffy on his back most of their bodies would be touching.   
  
Luffy considered the offer. A soft breeze drifted through the trees, rustling them and Luffy couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through his body. Even with his clothes replaced after the hasty surgery and the robe around him he was still cold. The prospect of cuddling up to a warm back and having a nap there had never seemed so appealing, and yet as he imagined the feeling an involuntary shiver crawled down his spine; this time nothing to do with the night air. The crew’s voices were becoming muffled and Luffy knew the heavy feeling in his body well. He was going to pass out. Reluctantly he nodded his consent to the idea – after all, it wouldn’t matter anyway if he wasn’t awake to experience it, would it?  
  
The crew seemed pleased by his decision, he wasn’t sure whether it was because they might actually get done what they set out to do or because of his consent (another small step on the way to recovery). Shakily Luffy hoisted his body upright with a groan as Zoro moved to crouch in front of him. He couldn’t help the tremble as he felt several of Robin’s limbs bloom across his body so that his transition onto Zoro’s back could go as smoothly and pain-free as possible. It didn’t make it any easier for Luffy though as he sucked in a breath and held it until he felt the limbs dissipate as if they’d never been there. He released his breath in a heavy sigh against the back of Zoro’s neck and dropped his head onto the man’s shoulder. Holding his breath had done _nothing_ good for the heavy feeling as darkness crept into the edge of his vision.

Oddly, Luffy didn’t feel the panic he had been expecting. Though his heart thumped heavily against his chest he was torn between the comforting warmth Zoro’s body gave off and the little voice in the back of his head that warned him not to leave himself vulnerable. He heard them mutter something but by now their voices sounded as though he were hearing them from underwater. Luffy unconsciously snuggled closer to the warm body that supported him and Zoro adjusted his hold to accommodate.  
  
“Luffy?” Chopper called again when his earlier question of whether Luffy was okay went unanswered. Yet again there was no reply, but before Chopper could panic Zoro spoke up.

“He’s asleep.” Zoro replied on Luffy’s behalf. He could tell by the deep and even breaths against his back. “He’s exhausted. Let him rest.”  
  
“Un.” Chopper noised, and nodded his head.   
  
“It’s probably a twenty minute slow walk downhill to reach the edge of the town.” Sanji predicted as he looked out at the town in the distance. “We should keep it slow so we don’t do more damage to his chest.”

Nami nodded her head in agreement. They had already lost time due to the attack but Luffy’s comfort and health came before gathering information on who could have done this to him.  
  
“Do you suppose those bandits were waiting in ambush?” Brook asked softly as they began to move. “For us?”

“I doubt it.” Robin replied. She had taken in many details of the scene when they had first been approached by the bandits. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air and most of the men seemed as though they had had a fair drink. “I expect they were camped there and thought they’d struck lucky when we came out, if the smell of smoke and rum were anything to go by.”  
  
“Unlucky, more like.” Sanji muttered, before his eyes bulged into love hearts. “Ah~ Robin-chwan is so smart!”

Robin smiled at the compliment, glad for some normalcy in their routine. Things had been out of place for too long.  
  
“I don’t think twenty minutes will be long enough to let Luffy rest, so what’s the plan when we get to town?” Nami asked.  
  
“Though our initial plan was to stay together,” Brook interjected softly, “Perhaps Nami-san accompanied by another could scout for information whilst the rest remain with Luffy-san?”

“I volunteer my services!” Sanji called out suddenly, his hand raised into the air as if to solidify the offer.”  
  
“I’ll take Franky.” Nami replied blandly, and Sanji’s face fell, his body seeming to whither.  
  
“B-But, Nami-san...” he pleaded desperately.  
  
“He looks butch.” She offered in explanation. “Nine out of ten of the scum on this island are cowards who wouldn’t so much as look a guy’s way if he looks like that.” She finished jerking her thumb in Franky’s direction.   
  
“If that didn’t scare them off, the Speedo would.” Usopp mumbled.  
  
“Ehh? What was that, long-nose?!” Franky asked, a vein throbbing in annoyance. “Got a problem with the Speedo?”  
  
“Only r-real men understand it!” Usopp defended quickly, his voice stuttering over the words as he concocted a swift lie to placate his crewmate.  
  
“Hn. True.” Franky replied, falling hook, line and sinker for the excuse.  
  
“We’ll find somewhere safe to stay with Luffy first.” Zoro added, and then to clarify their plan he added, “Nami and Franky will scout for information and when they come back we’ll wake Luffy and head out together. Depending on what they find is where we go after that.”  
  
The crew noised a chorus of confirmation noises as they continued their slow trek into town. 


	8. The Fog Begins To Clear

The back alley the Strawhats found themselves in wasn’t the ideal place to let their captain rest, but they’d chosen it wisely. The entrance into town from the alley was blocked off with a couple of waste bins that mostly blocked them from view. What wasn’t blocked by the bins was shrouded in shadow. At the other end of the alley was an open exit away from the town that brought them back to the mountain path that would lead them back to the beach where they’d docked.

Sanji sighed for the umpteenth time since they’d settled there; he was restless. Nami and Franky had been gone over two hours and the night was well in swing. Shouts, songs and brawls could be heard in every direction from the plentiful taverns that littered the streets of the island. He’d taken the chance of rest to grab a smoke and strayed a little ways from the group (more importantly Luffy) to enjoy the rare relief the nicotine brought.  
  
Zoro stood like a sentry in the middle of the alley. He’d yet to release his gentle, but firm hold of his captain. He didn’t want to risk jostling or waking Luffy until he had to. The kid needed as much sleep as he could get in his opinion. He didn’t deny that the even breath against his clothed shoulder and the steady thump of Luffy’s heart against his back was a comfort. They’d come within a hairs breadth of losing their captain so many times, yet this time was so much more frightening. He’d made a silent vow to never let Luffy down like this again and so he stood like a statue acting as his captain’s makeshift bed. Luffy’s arm draped loosely about his shoulders, one arm curled around his neck whilst the other hung limp in the crook of his elbow where he had Luffy’s leg hooked.  
  
“Oi, Marimo,” Sanji called softly. “What if she’s in trouble?”

“You don’t have faith in her?” Zoro quipped back. He knew Sanji was itching to seek out their navigator but Nami was in fighting form. Luffy wasn’t; he needed their protection more.

“They should’ve been back by now.” Sanji pressed, louder this time.

“Not if they’ve found a lead.” Robin interjected and smiled sweetly. “Please try to keep your voice down, Sanji-kun.”  
  
Sanji deflated, defeated, and slumped down the wall to sit on the floor.  
  
“Would you like me to take him for a while, Zoro-san?” Brook asked after a moment of silence. “Your arms must be--”

“My arms are fine.” Zoro interrupted, stoically. “I’ve got him for now, thanks. 

Brook nodded in acceptance. Zoro was probably right. Transferring Luffy from one person to another would probably hurt him and could wake him. He doubted Luffy would be comfortable held in the embrace of a bony skeleton either, but he still felt obligated to ask, to make a contribution somehow to his new crew.

“He looks a little better.” Chopper stated with a smile.  
  
“Sleep is a good healer.” Robin added as she too gazed fondly at their slumbering captain.  
  
“I’m just glad to see him getting some rest at last.” Sanji admitted. “At one point I was scared the lack of sleep would send him over the edge.”  
  
“Luffy’s stronger than that.” Usopp stated firmly. “He can come back from this, I know he can.”

“Maybe...” Sanji relented. He hoped so too, but he wasn’t about to let his hopes fly like Usopp was. He couldn’t forget the past weeks so easily.

They solemn conversation was interrupted as the bins were suddenly jostled. Zoro backed up towards the other end of the alley, well aware he couldn’t defend Luffy as he was and Chopper, Brook and Sanji moved in front of him whilst Robin and Usopp stayed behind. To their relief it was Nami that entered the alley once the bins were moved, followed briefly by Franky.  
  
“Nami-swan!” Sanji cried, delighted at her return.   
  
“Welcome back,” Robin greeted as she stepped forward. “Did you gather any information?”  
  
“Mm, some.” Nami replied, “But I found something much better!” she added enthusiastically. To emphasise her point she stepped aside so that the rest of the crew could see the mouth of the alley where stood before them was Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace.  
  
“Yo.” He greeted with the easy smile most of them remembered. His smile quickly fell though as he spied his brother’s unconscious form draped across Zoro’s back. He approached slowly; though eager to check Luffy out for himself he’d been warned by Nami of the state he was in.  
  
“Ace!!” Usopp and Chopper chimed in unison, both delighted to see the man. If anybody could give Luffy the strength he’d need to get through this it would be Ace. Both Usopp and Chopper launched at Ace, capturing him in a hug.  
  
“Ah! Thank goodness!” Usopp breathed as he clutched Ace’s arm. “Someone we can really rely on! Someone that can protect us!”  
  
“Eh?” Ace noised as he looked down at Usopp.  
  
“Accce!” Chopper cried as he latched onto Ace’s other side, firmly glued to the freckled man’s head. “I’m so glad you’re here!”  
  
“Ah... thank you?” Ace replied hesitantly as he smiled sheepishly. Nami had been sparing on the details with just what had happened to his little brother, but she had warned him it was _bad_. Bad where Luffy was concerned could mean a lot of things though, so he’d refrained from letting that knot of worry climb its way from his stomach to his throat. Now he wondered if maybe he should be more concerned.

“What are you doing here?” Zoro asked, curiously. Ace was the last person he’d expected to run into.  
  
“Passing through.” Ace replied easily. “Still on the trail of Teach. Anybody want to explain to me why my little brother can’t greet me himself?” A dangerous undertone laced Ace’s voice, an undercurrent of anger, not necessarily directed at the people around him but there all the same. Something was definitely wrong with Luffy and Ace wasn’t happy about it.

“We can explain when we’re back at the ship.” Nami answered. “The less attention we gather the better it’ll be for all of us.”

Ace didn’t like being kept in the dark but he could see sense in Nami’s explanation. With Luffy’s recent bounty increase he was an easy trade in for a lot of money.  
  
“Alright, let’s go then.” Ace pressed as his eyes settled on Luffy again, that knot in his stomach growing heavier by the second.  
  
“He’s just sleeping.” Chopper spoke up, sat on Ace’s shoulders much like he would on Zoro’s. “He hasn’t been sleeping well and he’s exhausted, so we didn’t want to wake him.”  
  
Ace accepted the explanation with a nod and followed the crew as they set out once more for their ship.

Ace couldn't help but take note of the new faces in the crew that hadn't been there last time they'd met. He couldn't help but let his gaze linger on brook who walked beside him. Really, only Luffy could find a random walking skeleton and recruit it.

"Ah, you must be Ace." Brook mentioned in greeting.

"Uh, yeah..." Ace answered, his usually impeccable manners foregone in his surprise. In all honestly he hadn't expected the skeleton to speak. "And you are?"

"Brook. Luffy's musician." Brook replied. "And swordsman."

Brook felt oddly nervous about making a good first impression on his captain's older brother, so much so he couldn't help the small _'frrrp'_ that escaped his backside.

"Ah, excuse me." he stated, bluntly. "I farted."

Ace blinked back at brook comically, the corners of his lips twitching upward, though he smothered the bubbling laughter with a stern cough and instead grasped brook's hand in a handshake as it was offered.

"A pleasure." he finally answered, bemused by the ragtag group his brother has wrangled for his crew.

The walk back to the ship went much faster than their journey inland. With Luffy carried by Zoro they could move much faster and take the steeper, speedier route back. At the steepest point of the route the crew came upon a drunken duo chatting and laughing loudly amongst a scattering of rum bottles. Though they outnumbered the men (and more than likely outclassed them) their movements were still wary as they approached. None of the Strawhats offered a glance to the strangers as the duo fell quiet and watched them travel by.

It was Ace who noticed one of the men’s eyes linger too long for his liking on the prone form of his little brother. He made sure to catch the man’s eyes as he passed, his own glare offering the warning of a painful death. Ace was satisfied as the stranger flailed back, falling from the boulder he’d been sat on. The other thug swallowed nervously and only dared to move to help his friend when Ace and the Strawhats began their descent down the mountain that led to the beach. Ace snorted at their cowardice and turned his attention back to Luffy as he huffed out a soft sigh through his nose. He couldn’t help but wonder just what the hell Luffy had gotten himself into to warrant such a cautious reaction from his crew.

It wasn’t until they were approaching the beach where the Mini Merry was hidden that Luffy stirred slightly against Zoro’s back. His whole body felt heavy and detached, almost as if it wasn’t his own. Consciousness was elusive, yet something in him compelled him to fight for it. Something important had happened he was sure, yet as his eyes dragged open for half a second the effort seemed too much and they slipped closed again. Nobody seemed to notice. His second attempt was more successful and his eyebrows furrowed gently in confusion as he tried to register where he was and what was going on.  He was warm and comfortable, despite the throbbing in his chest. That was when the penny dropped.  
  
Luffy jerked backwards, eyes wide with a strangled yelp and almost fell from Zoro’s grip entirely in his panic. His arm’s pushed out and pressed his palms back forcefully against the back of Zoro’s shoulders as if trying to push the two of them apart, though with his legs still in his swordsman’s grip it only resulted in him overbalancing as he began to fall backwards.  
  
“At-at-at-at!” Zoro noised senselessly in panic as he desperately leaned forwards to compensate for Luffy’s sudden movement to stop his captain from toppling to the ground. Having dealt with Luffy’s panic and fear for the past weeks, Zoro’s movement was fluid and swift as continued his descent, knees bending until he’d crouched low enough for Luffy’s feet to touch the ground. He released his hold on the boy’s legs and Luffy stumbled backwards on wobbly legs away from him. Zoro stood silently, undeterred by his captain’s sudden aversion to being close to him once again. It was plain as day that his earlier consent had been heavily influenced by his exhaustion. Their top priority now was to keep Luffy calm until they could get back to the safety of their ship.

“You alright there, bro?” Franky asked, his voice unusually gentle as he asked the question everybody wanted to.  
  
Luffy panted, obviously unsteady on his feet as he struggled to wake his exhausted body up. Tension escalated as Luffy looked wildly from one crew member for another, fear and uncertainty lingering in his eyes.

“Give him some space.” Sanji suggested, sure to keep his voice soft as he backed up a little so as not to startle Luffy any further. “Give him a chance to get his head straight.”  
  
The crew backed away obediently, eager to try anything that might calm Luffy down. Ace watched, perplexed from his position at the back of the group. As of yet he was out of Luffy’s line of sight, stood behind him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Luffy’s body closely. The tension and stiffness in his movements gave away the obvious pain he felt but the hunched, almost submissive curve in Luffy’s spine as he backed away from his crew made Ace’s breath catch in his throat. Luffy was afraid; Luffy was _very_ afraid right now – of his own crew! Just what the hell had happened!?  
  
“Luffy...” Ace called softly, desperately. The name had rolled from his tongue and escaped his lips before he’d had a chance to stop it.  
  
Luffy flinched visibly; his head turned slowly, shadowed eyes peeking out from under the heavy robes. He blinked once, clenching his eyes shut tightly before opening them. Did he think he was seeing things, Ace wondered? Luffy turned fully them, the fear dulled by shock as he reached out uncertainly as if to check Ace truly were there. Thin, rubbery fingers had barely brushed his wrist before Ace grunted as he was nearly tackled at the force of Luffy’s hug. Luffy held onto Ace tightly, fingers digging into his brother’s skin desperately, entirely content with his brother’s touch. His entire body seemed to relax as Ace lifted a hand to smooth down his sleep mussed hair and give his head a pat.  
  
The Strawhats looked on in silent confusion. They had expected Ace to be a source of strength for Luffy, but the sheer lack of negative reaction on Luffy’s part had them all stunned. 

“Silly little brother,” Ace chided softly as he curled an arm around Luffy in a half hug. The ferocity of Luffy’s emotion churned that concrete wad of worry settled in his stomach. Ace tried to make light of Luffy’s actions as he caught sight of the stunned Strawhats. “Making us all worry again?”  
  
Luffy didn’t say anything in reply, though kept his face buried in Ace’s chest.  
  
“He... hasn’t said anything.” Zoro said, carefully. Something in the bottom of his heart clenched at what had just happened. It wasn’t jealousy, no... more of an instinct. Something wasn’t right about this whole situation.

“What?” Ace asked. He had yet to be filled in on any details from Nami and his sleepy eyes widened at Zoro’s words. “In how long?”  
  
“Ah, shit... how long now?” Sanji mumbled. The days seemed to melt together as they’d cared for Luffy on the ship. “Two weeks? More?”  
  
“Seventeen days.” Nami offered, though it felt like a lifetime in reality.  
  
Ace’s head snapped back to Luffy with a concerned frown. Before he had a chance to question his brother, a voice interrupted.

“We can continue this on the ship.” Zoro stated, his face stony leaving no room for argument. “Chopper needs to sort out some pain relief for Luffy soon anyhow.”  
  
Ace nodded and watched as the crew exhumed the small boat from its hiding place. Carefully he untangled himself from Luffy’s hold, surprised at Luffy’s lack of resistance. Ace canted his head softly in confusion which only deepened when Luffy’s eyes met his, filled with guilt. Luffy wasn’t the type of man to dwell on things such as guilt. He took action against such feelings so Ace wondered for the hundredth time since he’d met Nami just what the hell happened to his baby brother.

It took a few trips on the Mini merry to return the crew to their ship. Luffy was accompanied by Ace, Zoro and Sanji in the first trip. Luffy sat close to Ace, his body feeding off of the unnatural warmth Ace’s body offered due to his devil fruit ability. Zoro glanced back at Luffy in masked concern. His young captain still seemed disoriented from his earlier panic though he was grateful it hadn’t deteriorated into Luffy’s recent episodes of delirium. Ace seemed to be having a hard enough time taking in the change in his little brother at it was.

Chopper arrived in the second trip and promptly ushered Luffy and Ace away to the infirmary to change his bandages and better tend the wound from earlier. Sanji made his way to the galley to prepare the nights meal and as the remainder of the crew. As the rest of the crew arrived they joined their nakama in the galley. Brook and Usopp helped with setting the table and prepping the food as they fell into a quiet chatter. A gentle air of excitement buzzed around them as they regaled with tales from Alabasta where they had first met Ace for their newer crewmates benefit.

Zoro sat away from the group, shoulders hunched forward as his arms crossed atop the table and face set in a stony frown. Robin was the first to notice Zoro’s self-seclusion and moved to sit opposite him, curious as to what was bothering the swordsman. He glanced up briefly as she took her seat and she returned his sour look with a disarming smile. The effect was lost on Zoro as his frown deepened and he returned to staring at the table top.

“Is something wrong, Zoro?” Robin ventured.  
  
“It’s nothing.” Zoro snapped back.

“Don’t talk to Robin-chan that way, idiot.” Sanji chastised automatically, though his tone was distracted and lacking its usual bite as he lost himself in the creation of his next delicacy. He nodded in approval as he tested a sample and then seemed to realise what he’d just said and glanced back at the pair when Zoro didn’t offer up any retaliation.  
  
“What’s bothering you?” Robin pressed, not willing to let it go. It was rare for anything to get under Zoro’s skin so whatever it was had to be serious.

Zoro heaved a sigh through his nose and twisted his lips in annoyance at Robin’s persistence. By now the rest of the crew in the galley had also noticed the tense interaction and the conversation had stilled.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Zoro asked as he sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “How Luffy acted.”

“How Luffy acted _when_?” Robin asked, careful to keep her tone neutral. She too had noticed a couple of curious things in Luffy’s behaviour, but the last thing their crew needed now was more concern and so she had kept her suspicions to herself. If Zoro wanted to confront the issue though, she was more than willing.

“You know when.” Zoro replied as irritation crept into his voice. Robin was the smartest in their crew and he had no doubt if he’d seen it, she had too. “With the bandits and... Ace.”

“Right!” Usopp jumped in, grinning from ear to ear. “He was amazing! I mean, I didn’t think he could still _do_ that with how he’s been and it must’ve been hard with his body like it is!”  
  
“I’m not talking about that.” Zoro said gruffly and Usopp fell silent, his enthusiasm squashed. “I’m talking about the fear.”  
  
“Or lack thereof.” Robin offered and nodded slowly. It seemed Zoro _had_ noticed.  
  
“Sure he was afraid...” Usopp reasoned, “I mean when those bandits came out--”  
  
“He watched...” Sanji muttered as it dawned on him what his crewmates were suggesting. Mutely he moved to sit beside Robin, sliding the coffee he’d prepared her way. “He didn’t have a panic attack or run... he didn’t even seem bothered.”  
  
“He’s exhausted!” Usopp defended. “We probably just couldn’t tell because he was so tired!”  
  
“No... we’ve seen the fear in him enough times in the last weeks to know what it looks like.” Zoro said as he tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. “And then later when he woke up he _was_ afraid.”

“Until he saw Ace.” Nami spoke up. “But what’s the problem? You saw how he reacted to Ace! He didn’t even flinch and actually initiated contact with him – he even looked _comfortable_ with it!”

“Exactly!” Zoro snapped, eyes narrowing. “He wasn’t afraid of the bandits and he wasn’t afraid of Ace. He was just fine with friend and foe alike.”  
  
“Your point?” Nami asked, annoyed at Zoro’s ramblings.

“He was afraid of _us._ ” Sanji said quietly, the meal forgotten. “Shit...”

The information washed over the crew with a silent violence. Nami was the first to recover as she spluttered out excuses for the revelation that had just been uncovered.  
  
“Well that’s normal, right?” she asked no one in particular. “Luffy’s been through so much and we were the first ones there when he woke up and we’ve been around him this whole time while he recovered with all those bad memories. It’s like we’re all stained with the bad emotions...”

“I suppose that could be true...” Robin mused as she drummed her fingers against her coffee cup. “The trip inland did seem to do him good.”

“Maybe Luffy-san’s trust is still too frail with us.” Brook suggested quietly. “He sees it as his role to protect us, his nakama, yet we allowed him to be harmed so violently and we’ve yet to discover who did it.”

“Or how.” Franky added. “With Nico Robin on watch nothing should have been able to get near the ship.”  
  
Robin gave a slight nod. She too had been troubled by that fact. That night it had been her responsibility to protect the crew and keep watch and though she knew she hadn’t slept or moved from her vigilant watch, she couldn’t help but feel responsible for what had happened. Nothing made sense. From the severity of Luffy’s wounds Chopper had explained that they would have had to have heard him screaming and yet she had heard no such thing and the crew had slept on peacefully.

“We’re no closer to fixing this.” Nami admitted, frustration painting her voice.

“Maybe we should just leave...” Usopp suggested quietly, timidly. “I-I mean if we used the paddling wheels and a cola burst we could fly right by those waters, right? Whatever _is_ there wouldn’t have a chance of catching us again!”  
  
Usopp looked around hopefully. Truthfully he was terrified of whatever horrors had inflicted such damage on his captain. Luffy was his best friend and idol in so many ways and to see him stripped bare of his confidence and power in one night without explanation or reason had stunned his heart.  
  
“It’s an option,” Franky finally answered, “But we’d need to see what Luffy thinks.”

“The next island is four days travel with good winds.” Nami stated quietly. “Even using all our cola supplies it would still be a day’s journey over those waters. We don’t even know if whatever did this is still there.”

“We still don’t know anything.” Zoro muttered gruffly and the galley fell into a solemn, thoughtful silence. Even if Luffy did choose to go on, just what was their next move?

 

\---

 

Ace sucked in a breath at the sight of his brother’s body as Chopper removed the heavy robe carefully from his shoulders. The fading burns and cuts that littered the flesh he could see made his blood boil for revenge, but his sleepy expression gave away none of his darker thoughts. Ace listened silently as Chopper listed off the numerous injuries Luffy had sustained in the attack and swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat as Luffy eased out of his shirt to reveal the large scar that peeked from behind the bandages wrapped around his chest. Nami had told him it was _bad_ but he hadn’t expected _this_ bad.

“When was the last time he ate?” Ace asked as his dark eyes drifted over Luffy’s sunken abdomen. “Are you hungry, Luffy?”  
  
Luffy eased his body onto the cot and shook his head wearily. He wasn’t hungry. He felt sick.

“He’s eaten a little better the last couple days.” Chopper explained as he set to work on cleaning Luffy’s wounds. In his healing frame of mind he ignored Luffy’s slight flinches and the way he recoiled from probing touches. “Before that he couldn’t keep anything down and for a while he was catatonic.”

Ace looked to Luffy in shock. He couldn’t imagine his happy, optimistic, energetic Luffy in such a state. As he looked at him now though it seemed all too real. Luffy’s eyes stayed glued to the floor and Ace couldn’t help but feel he looked _ashamed_ of all things. Ace reached out, unable to hold back any longer and rested his hand on Luffy’s head. He had planned to offer his brother words of reassurance, maybe words of comfort, but as he felt Luffy’s hair under his fingers another thought occurred to him.  
  
“Where’s your hat?” he asked, bewildered. He’d seldom seen Luffy without his trademark headwear. It was then he spotted the string around Luffy’s neck and glanced around to his back where his hat rested against his shoulder blades.

“We thought it would attract too much attention.” Chopper explained. “But he didn’t want to leave it behind.”  
  
“Of course you didn’t.” Ace said, a soft grin touching his lips. It was good to hear something _normal_ about Luffy’s behaviour.

Chopper worked diligently on rewrapping Luffy’s torso in bandages as he finished cleaning the large wound there. He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Luffy staring straight at him.

“I-Is something wrong, Luffy?” he asked timidly.  
  
Luffy’s eyes seemed fixed on something above Chopper’s head. The small reindeer looked back but saw nothing and turned back to Luffy, confused. Wordlessly Luffy reached up, fingers gently brushing one of Choppers antlers before he withdrew again. Chopper noticed the flaky crimson that had dusted on Luffy’s fingers and his eyes widened.  
  
“Got a little blood on you there.” Ace said as he watched the interaction curiously.  
  
“It... was from a bandit.” Chopper replied, blushing under his fur as he recalled his wild retaliation against the man that had attacked Luffy. “He attacked Luffy.”  
  
“Blood is at home on a doctors hands, but I don’t think my brother likes the look of it there.” Ace said.

“R-Right...” Chopper mumbled, but before he had a chance to escape to wash the offending crimson away, Luffy had grabbed the wet flannel Chopper had used on his wound and reached out, cleaning it off himself. Chopper didn’t dare move, a confliction of shame and pride warring in his heart at his actions earlier. He knew he had lost control for a moment but it had been to protect his captain and he didn’t regret it. Luffy’s hand withdrew again, the cloth stained with old blood.  
  
“I think maybe this is the only way he can tell you he’s proud of you.” Ace explained as he looked from Chopper to Luffy and back again. “Right?”  
  
Luffy nodded mutely, a serious look on his face. Chopper swallowed thickly as tears spilled from his eyes and he too nodded his understanding. He could see the guilt and regret shining in Luffy’s shadowed eyes. Luffy was telling him he was proud of what he had done, but Chopper knew Luffy was also feeling that the reindeer shouldn’t have been placed in that position in the first place. Much like Ace had done to him moments before, Luffy rested his hand atop Chopper’s hat.  
  
“How about we go join the others?” Ace asked, reluctant to break up the moment between the two but eager to get some answers.

Chopper nodded and Luffy moved to comply silently. The small doctor helped him to redress in a clean, loose vest before they headed out of the infirmary and towards the galley.


	9. Who Did It?

Luffy felt the tension wash over him as he entered the galley. Chopper and Ace followed shortly behind him and silently made their way to the table. Luffy lingered in the doorway uncertainly. He looked suspiciously from one crew member to the next, wondering what could have possibly created such a tense atmosphere in the short time it had taken to tend to his wounds. Chopper too picked up the odd vibe in the air and slipped onto the bench cautiously between Brook and Usopp.

“What the hell happened in here...?” Ace asked as his gaze drifted the length of the galley.

Chopper looked around at his unresponsive crew, deep in thought and laughed sheepishly. He wasn’t sure whether Ace was referring to the sombre atmosphere that engulfed the room or the slight disarray that it was in. Usually Sanji was very prideful about his domain; the galley. They kept most of their ship in order between them – it was necessary when living the life of a pirate. You could be attacked at any time and a messy ship could hinder movement in battle. Since Luffy had been attacked though, the crew had found little time between caring for him to upkeep their usual routine. Chopper could see as he looked around, the clutter and mess, as well as the grubby worktops and was glad for his fur which hid the blush staining his cheeks.

“We haven’t really had time to clean it up...” he admitted softly.

Ace’s lips twisted in confusion, but didn’t press the matter further. He looked back and forth, bewildered at the silence that once again dominated the usually boisterous crew Luffy had collected. With no immediate danger in sight he decided to ignore it and instead headed for the food simmering on the stove. He’d had more than his fair share of tension and awkward situations and over the years he’d found the best thing he could do was to be as normal as possible. Tiptoeing around a problem rarely fixed it in his opinion. He lifted the lid to the oversized pot and peered inside cheekily. He smiled as the scent of Sanji’s hard prepared meal made his mouth water.

“Mmm!” he hummed as his stomach noised its own approval. “Is it ready yet?”  
  
Sanji startled at the question directed his way, his solemn silence shattered. He glanced quickly Ace’s way before searching for Luffy and when he spotted him lingering by the galley door he breathed out a silent sigh of relief. They all felt the same way; nobody wanted to let Luffy out of their sights.

A quiet clatter sounded from the stove and Sanji turned in time to see Ace in the midst of thieving a small chunk of meat from the stew pot. The two men stared each other down, Ace with the cutlet held between two fingers sheepishly and Sanji armed with his familiar temper at his meal being tampered with. Bold as brass, Ace tossed the meat into his mouth and chewed eagerly on the tender cutlet before swallowing. He smiled cheekily at Sanji’s flabbergasted look.  
  
“Just as delicious as I remember!” Ace stated as he licked his fingers and replaced the lid.   
  
Sanji stood speechless, unsure whether to feel flattered at Ace’s compliment or outraged at his gall. He settled instead on huffing out a tired chuckle as he moved to serve the freckled man a bowl. The food was made to be eaten after all and they would all feel better with full stomachs. The tension lifted somewhat with the light-hearted interaction and Chopper started up a hushed chatter with Usopp and Brook as he explained Luffy’s actions in the infirmary. Robin set aside the book she’d been pretending to read and asked Sanji if she and Nami too could have a share of the dinner. The cook of course was all too willing to comply as he eagerly delivered their bowls and set about serving up dinner for the rest of the crew.   
  
As it came down to the last bowl, Sanji hesitated and glanced back to the door where Luffy still lingered hesitantly. For a moment he felt overwhelmed with pity as he watched Luffy’s struggle with his courage, but he quickly brushed off the feeling. Luffy was stronger than they all gave him credit for. He didn’t know why his captain was so afraid or if it was something to do with the trust they’d all worked so hard to cement between them, but he wasn’t about to give up. He took a breath to ready himself and donned a smile. It wasn’t as hard as he’d imagined it would be when Ace’s compliment had lifted his mood considerably.  
  
“Yo Luffy,” he called softly, not wanting to startle the jittery boy. “You feel hungry at all?”  
  
Luffy focussed on Sanji, his heart hammering in his chest. Something about the tension when they’d walked in had chased away all the courage he’d clawed back. He rubbed his sweaty palms against the rough fabric of his jean shorts and shook his head once, curtly. Sanji’s smile faltered somewhat.  
  
“No?” Ace piped up, head canted softly in confusion. “You don’t know what you’re missing little brother!”  
  
Ace pushed himself from the wall he’d been leaned against and strode confidently toward Luffy. To his surprise and the shock of the crew behind him, Luffy backed away from him and regarded him with an apprehensive gaze. Ace paused in his stride, bowl held in one hand, food forgotten as his eyebrows creased together in confusion.   
  
“Luffy?” he called, as a heavy lump of apprehension suddenly settled like lead in the pit of his stomach. Ace stepped forward once more but paused when Luffy took two steps away until his back hit the wall. His mouth opened again to call out to his little brother but stopped dead when their eyes met. Luffy looked _afraid_ of him!  
  
“Luffy...” he uttered dejected, “What’s wrong with you...?”

Luffy didn’t answer; none of them had expected him to. Instead he seemed to curl in on himself, ashamed at his own actions. Ace watched with sick fascination as the bubbly, fearless little brother he’d grown up with seemed to crumble before his eyes.

“Who did this?” he asked, tone low and dangerous as he turned to face the crew.   
  
“We don’t know.” Robin answered, the room once again flooded with tension.

Luffy shifted uncomfortably and in a bold move he stepped forward towards his brother back. He reached out a timid hand to ghost over Ace’s shoulder. Ace’s anger simmered from its boil as he turned back to look at Luffy, frustration shining in his eyes. Luffy’s pleaded with him silently. Ace stirring things up was the last thing he needed when they’d only just begun to settle.

“What do you want me to do?” Ace urged, voice raising an octave as his desperation to help his usually bubbly brother.   
  
Physical wounds could be healed with medicine, but Ace didn’t know how to fix scars on the inside. Looking at Luffy now he felt as though he was watching Luffy haemorrhage internally with no idea how bad the damage was or how to stop it from getting worse. That was exactly what it seemed to do in his eyes. When he’d first arrived Luffy had not shied from him and he’d underestimated the extent of the damage severely. Now as Luffy looked at him with those fearful eyes of trapped prey he understood. That didn’t help him fix anything though.   
  
“How can I help you if you don’t tell me what I have to do!?” Ace urged once more.

Luffy’s eyes wavered uncertainly between the floorboards and Ace. His lips parted slightly and for a suspenseful moment the crew froze, hopeful Luffy might speak, to tell them finally how to help him. Their hopes were quickly crushed with a wave of disappointment however as Luffy’s eyes flickered their way before his lips once again clamped closed and he shook his head.

The entire crew seemed to deflate visibly. Sanji once again sank down to sit on the bench as Zoro stood, face like stone. Luffy glanced at him briefly, guiltily. He could feel Zoro’s frustration and anger easily as if it were his own. He didn’t know what had caused such a violent turn in his swordsman’s emotions as until now Zoro had been so calm and gentle. He unconsciously shifted his body so that Ace acted as a barrier between he and Zoro. This didn’t go unnoticed by Zoro as he snorted incredulously. For a moment it looked as though he may approach Luffy, but instead he turned around and strode over to a far corner of the galley before he settled down to tend to his katana. He laid out his tools and set to work cleaning the dried blood from his blades and ignored the guilty eyes from Luffy he’d seen all too much over the past weeks.  
  
Luffy bowed his head solemnly and his hat shadowed his eyes as he backed away from his crew and settled against the aquarium wall. Ace, unsettled from what he’d seen, racked his brains for some way to help. He moved to sit beside Luffy, though took notice of the tension that rose in Luffy’s shoulders at his approach and left some space between them. He rolled a soft chunk of meat about his mouth thoughtfully before his eyes widened.   
  
“Ah!” he noised, and decided not to notice Luffy startle beside him as an enthusiastic smile stretched across his face. “I can ask Pops!”  
  
“Pops?” Franky questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
  
“Yeah, the old man’s travelled these seas longer than anyone out there. He’s bound to know _something_ about these waters and the criminals around here.” Ace explained.  
  
“That’s a great idea, Ace!” Usopp agreed, the enthusiasm contagious.  
  
“However, there’s no guarantee that the person or people that did this are _from_ this area.” Robin interjected quietly. She didn’t want to crush their hope but neither did she want to let them follow false hope.  
  
“That’s true,” Ace admitted, “But it can’t hurt to try, right?”  
  
“Is Whitebeard near here?” Sanji asked curiously. He’d heard legends of the old pirate from Zeff.  
  
“Nope.” Ace answered. “I got a baby Denden to keep in touch, but our communications don’t always go through so it could take a while.”  
  
“It’s not like we have anything better to do.” Zoro muttered bitterly. The crew didn’t miss his tone though he ignored the mix of curious and angered looks sent his way. He didn’t expect Luffy to get better over night, nor did he expect leaps of progress, but to watch Ace do what they had tried for the past two weeks had been bittersweet. To finally see Luffy comforted by _somebody_ and at ease, even if only for a moment, had been a heavy relief to all of them. Zoro knew though that he wasn’t the only one frustrated by the fact that he couldn’t or wouldn’t even tell them _why_ this had happened. For a moment he had been so close to speaking Zoro had almost heard his voice, but when Luffy once again withdrew he couldn’t help the frustration that seeped from his usually stoic exterior. He settled himself into the practiced process of cleaning his katana and allowed the repetitive motions he’d done a thousand times before to calm his raging mind.  
  
“We should probably get some sleep soon anyway.” Nami said as she stood up and carried her empty bowl to the sink. “Obviously some of us are feeling a bit grumpy and need a nap.” She added as she glared Zoro’s way. The swordsman ignored her.  
  
“It is quite late, though I find myself wide awake, yoho!” Brook stated and turned to Robin. “Ah, if you don’t mind perhaps I could keep you company tonight, Robin-san?”  
  
Robin smiled pleasantly and nodded. With her devil fruit ability, night watch had been hers for almost two weeks and though many of the nights had been sleepless as they watched over Luffy, it did get boring and lonesome. “That would be nice.” She answered.  
  
“And perhaps I could see your panties?”  
  
“No.” Robin replied firmly, her pleasant smile never once wavering.  
  
Ace’s head canted softly at the odd, though obviously practiced interaction. Luffy certainly did have a way of finding the strangest people out there and bringing them together. He glanced sideways at his brother and couldn’t help but smile as for a second he saw a flicker of affection flare in Luffy’s eyes that squashed the fear if only for a brief moment.

“I’ll take care of the washing up.” Usopp offered as he too stood and collected the empty plates from his crewmates.  
  
“I’ll dry!” Chopper chimed in as he hopped from the bench. “Thanks for the food, Sanji!”  
  
“Another delicious meal, bro.” Franky agreed with a 'thumbs up'.  
  
A chorus of quiet agreements sounded amongst the crew and Sanji coughed to hide his inflating ego; he couldn’t quite wipe the pleased smile from his face though.  
  
“Since Ace will be talking with his crew maybe it would be a good idea if he, Robin-chan and Brook stayed together so Luffy can rest.” Nami suggested.  
  
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing you were alone, Nami-san...” Sanji replied.  
  
“They can use our ladies cabin.” Nami said, waving off Sanji’s concern. “I have earplugs so they won’t disturb me.”  
  
“Well, that’s us set then!” Ace stated and pulled his bag from his back, eager to try and make contact with his crew.  
  
The dishes were quickly finished and the crew settled in their respective quarters. Though still somewhat jittery, once in bed Luffy once again felt the heavy exhaustion that had swept over him after the battle they’d endured earlier inland. His troubled mind couldn’t compete with the blanket of exhaustions as he quickly fell asleep, hoping the sunshine would bring with it some of the courage he’d dropped tonight.

 

\---

 

Luffy jolted awake with a start, once again plagued by nightmares. His chest heaved unevenly as he fought to gather his thoughts and composure. Usopp was the only other occupant of the cabin and watched Luffy with a quiet concern. As Luffy’s breathing slowly evened out his eyes drifted around the room and spying Usopp as the only other occupant, he flopped back against the softness of his blankets in relief. Usopp, though still slightly worried, couldn’t help the pride he felt at seeing Luffy relax around him.  
  
“Mornin’!” he greeted with a smile, though it faltered somewhat as Luffy stared blankly at the ceiling.   
  
Luffy’s chest rose with a deep inhale and slowly descended as he released a burdened sigh. Usopp watched and his lips twisted with worry. He wondered if maybe the way Zoro acted the night before had affected Luffy, though he had to admit, he could understand the swordsman’s feelings.

“Zoro wasn’t mad at _you_ or anything, you know?” Usopp muttered as he feebly grasped at excuses for his shipmate. “He’s just pissed off that he can’t get his hands on the guys who did this...”  
  
Luffy turned his head to the side to face Usopp with an unreadable expression on his face. Usopp took it as a sign to continue.  
  
“Can’t you find a way to tell us something? _Anything_?” he pleaded gently.   
  
Luffy sighed softly again and pushed himself into a sitting position. He remained motionless for a few moments before he pushed himself to his feet with a groan. Though his participation in the fight had been minimal his body throbbed with the pain and exhaustion it incurred.  
  
“It’s okay.” Usopp said suddenly, a genuine, gentle smile firmly in place. Luffy looked at him with a mixture of wariness and surprise. “You can tell us when you’re ready to tell us, ne?”  
  
Usopp’s words stirred a quiet confidence in Luffy and he returned his nakama’s smile with a watery one of his own and an appreciative nod.  
  
“How about we get some breakfast – you must be pretty hungry by now after our little work out last night, eh?”  
  
Luffy didn’t miss the pleased tone in Usopp’s voice. He’d seen the simple pleasure in all of his crew after the battle. In all honesty he hadn’t intended, nor felt able to act, but when he’d seen Nami in danger his body had moved of its own accord. He didn’t regret his actions, though he hoped it didn’t create higher expectations in his crew. They’d handled enough disappointment and hurt on his behalf.  
  
“I heard Robin telling Nami that Ace was still asleep.” Usopp prattled on, unwilling to let an uncomfortable silence settle between them as they slowly made their way to the galley. “Apparently he was in the middle discussing what he’d found out with Robin when he just keeled over!”  
  
Luffy’s lips twitched upwards slightly at the thought. Usopp continued with more confidence at Luffy’s reaction.  
  
“Chopper really freaked out!” he laughed, “He thought maybe something had happened like... you know, back then.” Usopp paused then and cleared his throat uncomfortably. He didn’t want to bring up any more unpleasant memories. “A-Anyway! Chopper thought he’d just dropped dead but he’s sleeping now. Robin said he’d gathered some important information, but I think she needs to speak with him about it before they can work out anything.”  
  
Luffy nodded distractedly.  
  
“H-How about we go eat in the galley?” Usopp suggested shakily, nervous at Luffy’s reaction. His face fell more as Luffy shook his head firmly. “Oh, u-um, how about I get us a bite and we eat _al fresco_?”  


A gentle nod renewed Usopp’s confidence and enthusiasm and he muttered, “Wait here.” Before he dashed off towards the galley to fetch them a bite to eat. Luffy’s head tilted slightly at the gentle command. Really, where did Usopp think he was about to go? With a tremulous sigh, he rolled his shoulders and eased himself down to sit on the deck. His eyes slipped closed as he raised his head to the sun, drinking it’s warmth into his tired and sore body.  
  
A soft melody started up a little ways from Luffy which startled him from his rest. He didn’t need to turn his head to know Brook was situated somewhere behind him dragging a melancholy melody from the strings of his violin. The music was a comfort. He closed his eyes again and let his body feel the rhythmic sway of the Thousand Sunny and hear the familiar white noise that surrounded the ship; it almost felt normal. The lapping waves against the hull, the soft groaning of the wood, the quiet clatter from the galley. The galley...  
  
The mere thought of the place made his stomach clench and his muscles tighten. Brook must have seen his physical reacting to the sour thought as his melody gave a hideous screech.  
  
“Are you alright, Luffy-san?” he asked softly after a brief moment of silence.  
  
Luffy hadn’t realised Brook had been watching him so closely that he would see his tension, though he should have expected it with how protective the crew had been. He nodded slowly and reached a hand up to grope behind his back until he felt the familiarity of the bettered straw hat against his fingers. He planted it firmly on his head and drew in a deep slow breath before releasing it. The hat truly made him feel stronger, it was a physical reminder of what and who he had to be strong for. The melody resumed.  
  
Usopp returned after a few more minutes with several plates of treats awkwardly balanced on his arms and two drinks gripped in his hands. The music stopped as Brook moved to join them with a quiet ‘Yoho!’ of excitement at the sight of the treats. It wasn’t commonplace for Sanji to make something purely for enjoyment as he tried to make each meal as nutritious as possible to fuel their wild lifestyles. With Luffy’s lack of appetite though, he hoped the various ‘naughty’ treats of meats and sweets would be enough to tempt Luffy to eat.  
  
“Man! What a feast, eh?” Usopp crowed as he sat cross legged opposite Brook and Luffy so they formed a small circle. Luffy stared at the food appreciatively until he game to one plate and his lips twisted in distaste.  
  
“Do you not like tarts, Luffy-san?” Brook asked as he gazed at the small delicacy appreciatively. “I had my fair share of tarts back in my day, yohohoho!”  
  
“Brook, you old dog!” Usopp grinned as he caught onto the skeleton’s innuendo. He then turned his attention to Luffy. “So how about it? Anything catch your eye?”  
  
Luffy shifted uncomfortably and forced himself to turn away from the tart. After all, they couldn’t see the problem with it like he could. One particular plate brought a rumble from his stomach as he set eye on it. A thick, juicy steak. It had no fancy extras – no rich sauce or seasoning, just plain cooked meat. Luffy reached forward and took the plate much to Usopp’s delight.   
  
“Nice choice!” he proclaimed with a 'thumbs up' and snagged a bowl of fruit salad for himself. The three ate together quietly and Luffy tried not to squirm as slowly the plates delicacies were eaten until nothing but the tart remained.  
  
“Well, I suppose you’re never too old to have a tart to yourself!” Brook laughed softly and reached out for the dessert. Luffy, unable to hold back any longer reached out and grabbed the man’s bony wrist. His head was bowed, face shaded by the rim of his hat, his expression unreadable.  
  
“Luffy-san?” Brook questioned softly. “Did you want it?” he would be more than happy to give it to Luffy if that was case, but Luffy shook his head negatively.  
  
“But... you don’t want me to have it?” Brook probed further and at a curt nod he obediently released his grip on the plate. Luffy too released his hold on Brook’s wrist and sat back, head bowed as he stared at his lap. Neither Usopp nor brook understood Luffy’s behaviour but neither decided to question it. He had eaten almost all of the steak and nibbled on a couple slices of fruit and that was enough to satisfy them.   
  
“Man, that was good!” Usopp said as he stood and collected the plates, hesitating briefly at the tart before he collected that too.  
  
“Please give my regards to Sanji-san.” Brook said as he too stood.   
  
Luffy was once again left to his thoughts as Brook resumed his seat by the main mast and Usopp returned to the galley. The familiar clink of heavy weights alerted him that Zoro had joined them on deck. The rhythmic clinks that followed gave away that he was training without having to see, but Luffy ventured a look, curious as to whether the swordsman was still irritated as he was last night.

At first glance Zoro looked as calm as ever. Luffy knew though that his passive expression could easily be from his concentration to his training. Zoro glanced up briefly to lock eyes with Luffy and in that moment Luffy felt a conflict of relief and fear. Zoro’s eyes were normally always guarded, but somehow Luffy had always been able to see through them. Though most of his anger and frustration from the night before was absent there now lingered a suspicion in Zoro’s eyes that made Luffy’s blood run cold. With their trust as fragile as it was, a weak link in their chain could cause it to fall apart.  
  
Luffy didn’t have a chance to think any more on the matter as two warm hands settled on his shoulders. Luffy tensed slightly at the contact but didn’t pull away.  
  
“Good morning little brother.” Ace greeted, his sleepy eyes smiling. “Feel up for a chat? We have a lot to talk about with your crew.”  
  
Luffy didn’t answer, though looked resigned to the fact he would be participating whether he wanted to or not. He didn’t know what Ace had found out, but if it was anything close to the truth, he didn’t want his crew to hear and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. The thought made him feel sick but he swallowed back the bile rising in his throat in a feeble attempt to keep his small meal down.  
  
Robin, who had been quietly surveying the interaction, quickly gathered the crew with her devil fruit ability, eager to discuss what she and Ace had found out the night before. They gathered quickly, settling amongst the deck within earshot and eager to hear any news.  
  
“So? Did you find out anything, Ace?” Nami asked, cutting to the chase as she waited in anticipation for Ace’s answer.  
  
“I did.” Ace answered with a nod.   
  
“So you know who attacked Luffy?” Zoro asked, eyes widening ever so slightly.  
  
“Mhm.” Ace answered as he sat cross-legged and leaned his head forward on his hand in a relaxed manner.  
  
A shockwave of silent emotion ran through the crew and Luffy felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.  
  
“Who was it?!” Usopp almost shouted, desperately. “Tell us!”  
  
“Ghosts.” Ace answered.


	10. The Dark Truth

 “Ghosts.” Nami said, sceptically as she eyed Ace for any sign of jest. It wasn’t so much a question as a reiterate to make sure she’d heard correctly. Of all the things she had expected, ghosts was not one of them

“Ghosts.” Ace answered with a serious nod.  
  
“T-This is a joke, right?” Usopp questioned meekly. “Right?”

Ace shook his head and Usopp blanched. Chopper grabbed a hold of Robin’s arm anxiously and she smiled down at him reassuringly. Luffy glanced around at his crews faces apprehensively. It didn’t go unmissed by Zoro’s keen eyes.  
  
“S-So real, live ghosts?” Usopp pressed, shakily, “Like the kind that go ‘ _oooooo!_ ’” he added as he lifted his arms and wiggled his fingers.

“Well I wouldn’t exactly call them ‘live’ but, yeah.” Ace answered with a weak smile at Usopp’s actions. “It’s weird you find it so hard to believe considering your musician is technically a dead man walking.”

All eyes wandered to Brook as the skeleton sipped his tea daintily, followed by a loud fart. “Ah, excuse me.” He said.

“DON’T BE SO RUDE!” Nami shrieked and crushed her fist into his skull. Brook went down, for lack of a better term, like a sack of bones.

“How can he even _do_ that?” Ace questioned incredulously as he watched Franky and Usopp desperately try to revive their comrade through the aid of calcium. “Does he even poop?”  
  
“Brook is _different_.” Nami replied, both answering Ace’s question and challenging his comparison. “He was revived by the power of a devil fruit. You’re saying that we were attacked by _ghosts_!”

“Because you were.” Ace retorted solidly before he turned towards Luffy. “Right, Luffy?”

Luffy’s brow furrowed and his lips tugged downward. He almost looked annoyed before he turned his face away from Ace dismissively.

“Oi, Luffy...” Sanji muttered in gentle reprimand, surprised by Luffy’s actions. At last they had a lead on finding out how and why all of this had happened and though he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) speak to them, a simple nod could give them the answers they desired. Luffy stared hard at the far wall over Zoro’s shoulder and ignored Sanji’s weak scolding.

“It’s okay.” Ace said as he held out a hand to halt any further protest. “He’s been through more than we can imagine.” Ace’s eyes drifted back to Luffy, shining sadly. “Ne, little brother?”

Once again Luffy offered no response and ignored his brother, though Ace smiled fondly, a look that said he knew more than he was willing to admit.

“Ghosts, eh?” Zoro asked, his tone gruff, obviously eager to learn more about the enemy.  
  
“Yeah,” Ace answered, “Well, kind of.”

“What do you mean ‘ _kind of_ ’?” Nami questioned, her tone clipped. “It either is or it isn’t.”

“It’s hard to explain.” Ace answered apologetically as he raised his hands defensively.

“Alright,” Nami said, calmer this time. “How do you know it’s ghosts then?”

“Ace and I were up through the night in communication with various members of the Whitebeard crew.” Robin answered on Ace’s behalf as she joined the conversation. “From the information gathered we have reason to believe that what’s happened here to us also occurred in the past with Ace’s crew.”

All eyes widened at this new information.  
  
“You mean it happened to you?” Chopper asked Ace.

“Yeah...” Ace replied, solemnly.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sanji asked.

“Because I didn’t remember.”

“Pretty damn important thing to forget.” Zoro snapped as he folded his arms across his chest, obviously irritated with Ace’s evasiveness. Ace didn’t react though and a thoughtful silence settled as the crew slowly absorbed everything they had been told.

“How do you know it’s the same thing if you don’t remember?” asked Nami, “I mean there’s no guarantee that it’s the same, right?”

“I don’t have any proof if that’s what you want.” Ace stated, “But Robin is a skilled woman. With the combination of information gathered by her from the island and what I heard from my crew I’ve little doubt.”

“You found out something last night, Robin?” Nami asked, surprised.   
  
“I joined both you and Franky-san on your interrogations last night.” Robin admitted. “Though I doubt you noticed my eyes and ears. I heard a number of things,” she continued. “But until I heard from Ace’s crew I’d considered them of little value.”

“Well what is it then?” Zoro asked, irritated that they had kept something from them, no matter how small.

“When you questioned the locals I heard a number of rumours and legends that tell of attacks in the waters around this island. Entire crews torn apart, but more importantly, the main victim of such attacks was always the captain. I thought it was a promising lead.” Robin explained.   
  
“But they’re just tall tales – myths!” Nami replied, still reeling from Robin’s previous admission.  
  
“And you decided not to tell us about that?” Zoro ground out.  
  
“Oi,” Sanji interjected, his tone laced with warning at Zoro’s aggression.  
  
“I didn’t even consider it to be anything substantial. We weren’t looking for ghosts, after all.” Robin replied, unfazed by her crewmates anger. “And then we came across Ace.”

“Word of mouth can be unreliable, sis.” Franky stated as he sat back down and left Usopp to tend to Brook. “Especially with the likes of the people on this island.”  
  
“Which is why until now I’d given the rumours little value.” Robin explained.   
  
“So what’s different now?” Nami asked.  
  
“A more reliable source.” Robin answered with a smile.  
  
“I trust my crew.” Ace added.  
  
“I don’t care if it’s ghosts or fucking rabid seaweed.” Zoro said, tone sharp as his hand unconsciously wandering to his katana. “All I want to know is how I can find them so I can return the damage they’ve done.”  
  
“That I can’t help you with.” Ace admitted and didn’t miss Zoro’s growl in response.  
  
“Then why the hell are you telling us any of this? Did you even find out anything worthwhile?”  
  
“I can understand you’re frustrated, but I’m not about to send you off on a wild goose chase without knowing what you’re up against.” Ace explained, his patience beginning to wane. “I’m only relaying the information I could get from my crew. I’ve never seen or faced this enemy before either, and I’m just as pissed as you at what’s been done to my kid brother!”  
  
“Is there any way we can just get away from here...?” Usopp asked miserably. “I-I mean... the log pose has set and we just need to get to the next island, right? Then things can start getting back to normal... right?”  
  
“I don’t know what will happen if you try to sail those waters again.” Ace said with a frustrated sigh.  
  
“Is there anything you _do_ know?” Zoro snapped.  
  
“The circumstances were _different_ with my crew!” Ace barked back.  
  
“How so?” Sanji asked, curiously.  
  
“My crew made it through those waters the first time through!” said Ace, his eyes narrowed. “The ones who came out beaten to a pulp at the other end were the crew, not the Captain!”  
  
A thick, heavy silence fell over the crew once again. Without warning Luffy suddenly stood and walked away from the crew. He settled against the railing of the Thousand Sunny, separating himself from the conversation.  
  
“Were you... badly hurt?” Chopper asked timidly, as he resisted to urge to follow after Luffy to see if he was alright.  
  
“I remember waking up and _hurting_.” Ace replied as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “We’d all been drinking the night before and I couldn’t remember nothing, so I just figured I got drunk. Maybe got in a fight.”  
  
“But weren’t the rest of the crew hurt as well?” Nami asked.  
  
“A lot of us were, some of us weren’t. Pops seemed real tense so I didn’t ask too many questions.” Ace explained and his lips twisted thoughtfully. “I didn’t even know I’d been a part of something like that until last night. They just said we got rowdy and started brawling – I mean, it’s not the first time something like that’s happened.”  
  
“But, why?” Chopper asked, pitifully. “What’s making the ghosts act out and hurt people?”

“Maybe I can answer that.” Robin offered as she presented a thick, dusty old book she’d been holding on her lap. “One of the locals mentioned this title last night.” She explained with a small smile as her fingers brushed over the worn leather covering delicately. “Ace was good enough to travel inland to find it for me.”  
  
“What is it?” Usopp asked apprehensively, as though too much curiosity might provoke the ghosts from the weathered pages of the book.   
  
“A history of tragedy; a legend.” Robin explained cryptically as she finally parted the heavy book and fingered through its crinkled pages until she reached the desired page.  
  
“ _The Fallen_.” Usopp read aloud before he realised he was leaning forward and quickly sat back.   
  
“This book details the countless tragedies that have become rumour in these parts – the legend of these ghosts that have disbanded and destroyed hundreds, perhaps thousands of travellers, pirates and adventurers alike.”  
  
“But _why_?” Chopper pressed. “What did any of those people do to deserve it?”  
  
“What did _we_ do to deserve it?” Sanji muttered bitterly as he looked across at Luffy’s back, the bandages peeking from within his vest. “What did _he_ do...?”  
  
“We’ve done nothing more than exist together as a crew, but according to legend these apparitions hold a heavy grudge against sailors of any kind. It doesn’t matter who they are, if they form a crew they will be targeted.”  
  
“But with our crew Luffy was attacked, and in Ace’s everybody _but_ the captain was attacked...” Franky muttered thoughtfully. “Why the difference?”  
  
“I haven’t been able to read every entry in here, but from what I can tell everybody attacked happened in one of three ways.” Robin replied as she idly turned a couple of pages, eyes diligently scanning the contents. “Either the captain was found mutilated,” she explained as her gaze wandering to Luffy, “The crew was found beaten or killed,” her eyes drifted to Ace, “Or, the entire crew, including the captain were discovered dead.”  
  
Usopp shivered as she said this, thoughts of what _could_ have happened to them flitting through his mind. As awful as it seemed, things could have been much worse than they already were.  
  
“In each case where the captain was the sole recipient of the attack, most were discovered by their crew in the morning with no trace of any attacker on the ship and no disturbance in the night despite the obvious violence and struggle aboard the ship.”  
  
“Just like...” Nami whispered, though she trailed off, skin paling at the memory of her dying captain struggling for breath on the galley floor. Tears welled in her eyes though she quickly swept them away and swallowed back the lump in her throat. For once Luffy needed them to be strong for him and she wasn’t about to play the part of the weak link.  
  
“Just like with Luffy.” Robin finished for Nami with a solemn nod. “No clues or sign that anybody had even boarded the Sunny. None of our sleeps had been disturbed.”  
  
“But what do we have to do with some shitty ghost’s grudge?” Sanji said as his fingers drummed against his knee, itching for a smoke.

“The actual story of how the ghosts came to be is considered a myth.” Robin stated.  
  
“We’ve heard lots of myths that turned out to be true, Robin-chan.” Said Sanji.   
  
“It’s rumoured that in their lives of flesh and bone the ghosts had been part of a pirate crew themselves under the rule of an infamous pirate – _Captain Bronzey_.”  
  
“ _Bronzey_?” Franky repeated as he raised an eyebrow. “Never heard of him.”  
  
“I doubt you would have.” Robin replied as she turned another page. “He’s been dead for over two centuries.”  
  
“So what does he have to do with this?” Zoro asked, “Is he their leader?”  
  
“He _was_ their captain,” Robin said with a nod, “Though he was a vicious man. We’re no stranger to his kind – driven by greed and lust and the want of power. Hundreds died by his hand and by the hands of his crew under his orders.”

“So because of what they did, they now can’t rest in peace?” Franky ventured, curiously.  
  
“On the contrary, it’s because of what _he_ did to _them_.” Robin replied, her eyes darkening with anger as she skimmed over the writing on the page she’s read the night before. “These ghosts are the spirits of _Bronzey’s_ crew, so it says, killed in a cruel massacre after he’d grown older and no longer desired the life of a pirate.”  
  
“That’s terrible!” Nami whispered angrily, her tears spilling over in both anger and grief for her own crew and _Bronzey’s_. She was reminded of Captain Kuro and even her own imprisonment under pirates; in a twisted way she almost knew how the vengeful spirits felt. It was pirates like _Bronzey_ and _Arlong_ and _Kuro_ that ruined lives, but not the likes of _Luffy_!  
  
“If they want revenge on bad captains then why did they attack Luffy?” Nami choked out bitterly. “All he’s ever done is help people!”

“Luffy isn’t evil or cruel or any of those things!” Usopp agreed.  
  
“It doesn’t work that way.” Ace said with a heavy sigh. “I’ve seen things in this world... I’ve seen bad things, alright? When men are broken down, their souls shattered and their spirit blackened with hate – men like that don’t see reason any more. It’s black or white and I expect it’s rarely white for these things, ghosts – whatever they are.”  
  
“So Luffy was targeted for being a captain? Being _our_ captain?” Zoro asked, his eyes narrowed furiously.  
  
“ _They lie in wait in watery graves to drag passing ships asunder,_ ” Robin read aloud from the book. “ _For men of men who choose to lead, who’ll join them in their slumber,_ ”  
  
“Over my dead body.” Zoro snapped. No man, alive or dead would take Luffy’s life under his watch.  
  
“ _Or in their place safe passage given upon payment of a toll,_ ” Robin continued, her voice softer now. “ _The life of every man aboard, for their captain’s sorry soul._ ”

“So these sick bastards think this is how they can ‘free’ us from our captain?” Sanji growled out, fists clenched against his knees. Just because their captain was a sick asshole they think all captains will be that way?”  
  
“I expect so,” Robin answered, though Sanji hadn’t really expected one.   
  
“Though they were ruled through fear of their captain power, they all most likely led a life of contentment, enjoying the spoils of their lives until Bronzey decided he didn’t want that life anymore.” Ace agreed, “Why would any other captain be different than their own? That’s probably how their think... if they think at all.”

“But that’s not fair! Luffy doesn’t hurt us or hold us prisoner!” Chopper protested suddenly. “We all joined him of our own free will! We’re all happy, right?? Luffy would never, _never_ do that sort of thing to us!”  
  
“So why didn’t they target Whitebeard?” Usopp asked suddenly, “I-I mean I know the old guy’s strong... really strong! But.... but Luffy is too, so...”  
  
“They did.” Ace muttered bitterly as he glared a hole through the deck.  
  
“If night should fall on a ship sailing over those waters,” Robin explained as she closed the old book with a heavy thump. “The spirits re-enact their revenge through the crew of the ship – they let the captain taste their own betrayal that they suffered.”  
  
Robin’s words fell heavy on the crew as they slowly processed everything they’d learnt. Sanji surveyed the crews’ troubles expressions but blinked as his eyes settled on Zoro. The tanned swordsman looked white as a sheet, his eyes shadowed as he visibly trembled, hand clenched tightly around Wadou.  
  
“Oi, shitty swordsman,” Sanji called, “What’s your problem?”  
  
“ _You fucking idiot!_ ” Zoro hissed out in barely contained fury. “We’re you _listening_!?”  
  
“Of course I was!” Sanji spat back, his own temper flared at Zoro’s tone, though a small voice in the back of his mind cautioned him to hold back, a quiet anxiety quickly firing to life at the mixture of pain and rage in Zoro’s expression.  
  
“They fucking _re-enact_ their revenge through the _crew_!” Zoro roared, “Ace can’t remember being attacked because he _wasn’t_ attacked! He was fucking _possessed_ and too busy attacking his _Captain_!”  
  
Sanji’s stomach filled with lead at Zoro’s words, his neck twisting to look at Luffy with his back to them. Sanji’s breath caught in his throat as he saw Luffy’s hands, clenched tightly around the railing, trembling. Zoro couldn’t be right... he _couldn’t!_ But then, if he wasn’t, why was Luffy so...? And ace wasn’t denying it either!  
  
“They possessed us, you fucking _idiot!_ ” Zoro choked out. “ ** _We did this to Luffy!_** _”_  
  
The crunching snap of Luffy’s hand crushing the railing echoed too loudly across the silent deck, though he swore he could hear each and every one of his crew’s hearts breaking.


	11. Endurance

The silence on deck was suffocating. It was as though the revelation of the truth had made such an impact, caused such damage, that time itself had stopped. Nobody moved or said a word. Nobody dared utter a whisper lest it make this horrible moment reality. Sunny’s boards creaked softly as the ship rocked gently with the rolling waves, though it all sounded deafening in the oppressive silence. It almost sounded as though the ship itself were crying for its crew.

 

“Shit!” Zoro cursed as he dropped his head into his own waiting hands, frustrated fingers clawing at his cropped green hair. His whole body trembled with a dangerous, bottled rage directed at the ghost, himself – at the damn universe! – for letting this happen. How could he have been so weak as to allow someone to control him!? To _use_ him to hurt Luffy.  
  
Sanji snatched a cigarette from his shirt pocket and stood on shaky legs. Without a word he departed from the group, long legs making quick strides to the other end of the ship. There he lit the cigarette and pressed it to his pale lips, trying not to think about all the marks he’d seen on Luffy’s body. He’d sported similar bruises himself as a child on the receiving end of Zeff’s kicks. He should have known! He’d seen that kind of injury on his own body countless times! Why hadn’t he recognised it on Luffy!?

 

Nami sobbed as tears flooded through her fingers that covered her face. She shook her head in denial, refusing to believe what she’d heard. There was no way! None of them would ever do _anything_ like that to Luffy! Chopper seemed too stricken by the revelation to comprehend the implication at all. His brow furrowed, jaw slack as he gazed across at Luffy. He was a doctor... a healer! How could he accept responsibility for the gross state of Luffy’s battered body?  
  
“How the hell could we let this happen?” Usopp whispered tremulously, head bowed. “He’s my best friend...! H-How...?”  
  
“It wasn’t your fault.” Ace replied, though he doubted Usopp expected an answer.

 

“I won’t accept that, damn it!” Zoro roared as he slammed his fist against the deck, splintering the wood. Franky’s eyes wandered to the damage, though he didn’t utter a complaint at the abuse to his precious creation. Zoro pulled his fist from the snapped wood with a curse and glared back at the cyborg, daring him to say something. Franky didn’t take the bait. Robin silently applauded him and watched her crewmates with a calm detachment. She had had all day to accept this information; though she could understand how they felt, each person dealt with bad news in their own way and right now Zoro was as volatile as a bomb.   
  
The swordsman turned his attention back to Ace only to find the freckled man watching him cautiously. Zoro turned his head away angrily. Ace’s dark eyes pissed him off! The confidence shining in them mirrored Luffy’s, a confident and mischievous sparkle he hadn’t seen in too long.

 

“That’s no fucking excuse!” Zoro shouted at Ace, teeth bared in a snarl. “How could this have happened!?”  
  
Nobody answered him as the truth seeped into their bodies bone deep. _They_ had hurt Luffy; _they_ had tortured their captain. _They_ were the ones who made him like this.

 

\---

 

_Luffy stayed still, the rise and fall of his chest the only movement from his body. His eyes bore unwavering into those of his captor as he raised his chin ever so slightly, defiantly. The blade against his throat shifted against his tanned skin in response until a thin line of blood dribbled from the light wound it made. His captor’s lips lifted in amusement at the ease of which Luffy’s skin split under the sharpened blade and the hand across his mouth was removed as more shadows entered the room. Luffy looked from one to the next, his expression still calm, though his eyes shone with a quiet confusion and anger._

_“What have you done to my nakama?” he asked suddenly, no longer gagged by the rough hand over his mouth. His voice was low, laced with anger and warning._

_“What are you talking about, **Captain**?” one of the new shadows spoke, voice low and menacing. “We _ are _your nakama.”_

_The rough scratch of a scraping match sounded before it ignited and illuminated the galley. The small, flickering flame cast an eerie glow over the figures in the room. The match was lifted to an unlit cigarette held loosely in its captor’s lips; the flame danced in front of the speakers face, revealing blonde locks and a wicked smirk._

_“You’re not my nakama.” Luffy replied solidly, confidently. “My nakama are sleeping.”_

_The group chuckled darkly, as they advanced on the young captain. The weight on his chest lifted as his captor, Zoro, stepped back to join the group as they gathered in a semicircle around the Luffy from one wall to another. They had him effectively cornered, offering no opportunity of escape._

_“So now I guess we find out who’s_ really _the strongest of us all, eh, **Captain**?” Zoro growled out, his grip on his katana tightening in anticipation._

_Again, the word ‘captain’ was spat out as though it were something vile and disgusting that lingered on the tongue like a bad taste. Luffy didn’t offer a response as his eyes darted from one person to the next thoughtfully._

_“Nothing to say, **Captain**?” Nami hissed out, glaring heatedly at him._

_Luffy’s eyes narrowed, as he opened his mouth to reply. “You’re making Nami look ugly.” he replied, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. “And say ugly things.”_

_Nami’s face twisted in fury at the answer and her body shifted subtly, her hand reaching for her Clima-tact. Before she had a chance to make a move however, Zoro lunged forward in attack. He unsheathed his swords and thrust the blades towards Luffy’s unguarded stomach. Luffy barely had time to react; he lurched backwards, his back bent at an inhuman angle as the attack sliced harmlessly above. Had that made contact, Luffy had no doubt it would have gutted him and left half his insides strewn across the floor. The rubber man didn’t resist the return momentum of his body and allowed it to spring back up, clashing his forehead into Zoro’s with a crack. Zoro staggered back at the attack, though more from shock than pain as the ‘attack’ had done little to no damage. Luffy didn’t miss the opening his retaliation created and tried to slip through the gap. He didn’t get far as Sanji and Chopper quickly closed the gap with a scissor attack from either side. Luffy managed to dodge the first attack from Chopper but found himself slammed back into the wall, held firmly in place with a heavy black shoe._

_“You never know when to give up, do you, **Captain**? You’ll keep on dragging us on and on, pushing us to our limits until we’re all dead.”_

_Luffy grunted under the force with which they held him against the wall and subtly flexed his chest muscles to gauge a feeling of just how much strength he’d need to exert to get them off. He had to find a way to get away from his nakama until they came to their senses. Sanji felt the subtle movement, however, and applied more pressure to his captive._  
  
“Uncomfortable?” the chef questioned sarcastically, a wicked smirk stretching across his face.

_“You’re not Sanji,” Luffy replied as he lifted his hands to Sanji’s leg and wrapped his fingers around the chef’s ankle. His own lips lifted in a cheeky smile as he continued matter-of-factly. “Sanji wouldn’t call me ‘captain’ after I raided the kitchen.”_

_The smirk fell from the blonde’s face as he moved to pull his leg back to kick out at Luffy again. The young captain held the leg firmly though, calm eyes locked with Sanji’s in challenge. The chef sneered back at the cocky boy and in a fluid motion only Sanji’s body would permit he kicked up with his other leg, thrusting it towards Luffy’s head. The attack barely missed as Luffy craned his neck to the side in a motion that would have broken a normal man’s neck. The heel of Sanji’s shoe brushed by Luffy’s ear so fast it left it ringing._

_Luffy took another chance at freedom as he pushed Sanji back, still holding onto his leg which caused the surprised chef to hop backwards to stay upright and successfully cleared a path in the human wall that was his nakama. For the briefest moment Luffy felt a swelling of hope in his chest. He wouldn’t have to harm his crew if he could outrun them. His hopes were quickly dashed however as collection of disembodied arms sprouted from his own body and swiftly immobilised him. Luffy stumbled to the ground with a grunt and pouted up at Robin._  
  
“Not fair...” he muttered.

_“Fairness has no meaning among pirates, **Captain**.” Robin spat back. _

_Luffy frowned at the hatred that twisted Robin’s features. It was a rare occasion to see Robin show anything other than slight annoyance or mild amusement. The look and emotion were out of place and made him feel uneasy. He squirmed against the hold she had on him but she only tightened her grip and bent his limbs in ways that would have been impossible had he not been rubber._

_Usopp stepped forward then and pulled a rope from his bag. He dangled it in front of his captain with a wicked grin that held none of his usual jovial playfulness. The marksman forced it over his Luffy’s head. Luffy simply stared back at his Usopp as the rope was looped around his neck in a noose. He knew he could easily stretch to stop his air supply from being cut off, but then he had a feeling they weren’t going to make it as easy as that._

_Zoro, Sanji and Nami stood off to the side as Chopper stepped forward with a needle in hand. A cloudy liquid sloshed thickly inside the glass as he approached. He roughly stabbed it into Luffy’s neck._

_“This should make things more interesting,” the little reindeer chuckled darkly as he left the needle jutting from the rubber boy’s neck. “A drug to heighten your senses, **Captain**.”_

_Again the title was hissed out, and Luffy looked defiantly back at the people before him. Zoro approached next with a snort at Luffy’s glare. He grabbed a fistful of Luffy’s hair and roughly dragged him out onto the deck. The rest of the crew followed casually behind and watched with amusement as Zoro stepped over to the side of the ship and hauled Luffy’s upper body over the railing, forcing him to stare down at the dark and murky waters sloshing below._

_“Now, **Captain** ,” he chided, in a mock lecture. “Don’t stretch, or you might end up in the water.”_

_That was all the warning Luffy got before he was shoved over the edge. The rope quickly tightened around his neck and Luffy didn’t have a chance to try and resist the motion as he neck stretched under the pressure and his body plunged into the frigid water. The arms that restrained him dissolved, powerless in the salty water but he could do nothing except hang there as his neck stretched further from the deadweight of his drained body. To his horror, the hold on the rope was suddenly released completely submerging him in the water. He sank steadily as his heart hammered in his chest and his eyes wandered around the inky blackness of the sea._

_For agonising minutes he continued to sink before finally he felt tension on the rope around his neck once more and he was hauled steadily upwards. Inches from the surface he could hold his breath no longer and choked out the stale air in his lungs. His head was pulled from the waves seconds later, though once again the heavy weight of his cursed body in the water caused his neck to stretch as the cycle began again. To Luffy’s horror he found he could barely suck in a breath_ out _of the water either as his chest heaved desperately through the restrictions of the noose around his neck that cut off his air supply._

_Luffy could hear the amused laughter of his crew above though his hearing dulled along with his vision as he choked for air. Finally strong fingers fisted in his hair once more and hauled him back over the railing, hoisting up his drenched body from the water as it returned to its normal position once more. Luffy gulped in the oxygen greedily._  
  
“We don’t want to kill you just yet, **Captain**.” Zoro stated dully.  
  
Luffy slowly caught his breath and coughed out some sea water onto the deck. Strength slowly returned to his body though his sopping clothes didn’t help in that endeavour as he shook his head defiantly and ground his teeth together.

_“You are_ **not** _my Nakama.”_

_\---_

 

“Oh my God,” Nami whispered as she shook her head in denial and hid her face behind trembling fingers that were wet with tears. “Oh God... oh God!” she wept as her stomach lurched and she dry heaved at the thought of what she’d done. “Luffy...”

 

Luffy’s entire body trembled, though he kept his back to the crew and his brother. He clenched the splintered remains of Sunny’s rail in his fisted hand as blood dribbled down his fingers from where the jagged pieces had cut his skin. He hadn’t wanted this. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!

 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sanji choked out, his own voice shaking with emotion. He dropped suddenly into a crouch, head bowed to his chest as though to protect himself from the unbearable truth that assaulted him. “Why didn’t you fight us!?” he asked, voice rising. “You’re strong enough! Damn it, Luffy, I _know_ you’re strong enough!”

 

Luffy didn’t answer him, he couldn’t even look at him. They weren’t supposed to find out like this! They weren’t supposed to find out at _all_!

 

“Luffy...” Chopper called, as his tears finally spilled from his eyes to soak his fur. He didn’t bother to wipe them away as he hiccupped out heartbroken sobs, each of Luffy’s injuries replaying in his mind. “Why?”

 

It was a question they all wanted answered.

 

\---

 

_Luffy gasped weakly as the rope that suspended him in the air fell slack once again. He barely had enough time to gulp in a mouthful of air before his body hit the frigid waters. His body, once again sapped of all its strength, sank like lead into the murky depths before the rope around his neck ran out of length. He struggled not to choke out the breath he was holding as his hammer-like body weighed him down and only served to tighten the bite of the rope around his neck. Finally he felt the tug of resistance as he was yanked upwards though the jolt caused Luffy to lose the breath he was holding. He knew soon he would be back on deck._

_Luffy gurgled as he was pulled from the water and his body burned with the sting of shallow cuts that marred his skin from Zoro’s blades. He winced half-heartedly as one particularly deep laceration throbbed along the side of his neck where the thick rope rubbed against it. That one was from Sanji. The chef had found new uses for his kitchen knives, but that only strengthened Luffy’s resolve. His cook, his Sanji wouldn’t do something like that. Not with his tools. Only shitty cooks did stuff like that, and even though Zoro said Sanji was a shitty cook, everybody knew he was the best. Sanji and Zoro had seemingly become best friends overnight, too. These were **not** his nakama._

_Finally, the rope was pulled level with the railings of the ship, and Luffy weakly raised his hands, gripping at the sturdy line looped around his throat, pulling himself up to relieve the pressure on his windpipe so that he could breathe again. The crew watched, bored as the boy struggled. After a couple of seconds, Sanji leapt onto the railing and kicked out against the rope. The vibration caused Luffy to lose his weak hold on the rope as he once again fell with a yelp as his body crashed against the side of the ship. Zoro quickly set to work on hauling him up and over the railings and watched blankly as the boy slumped to the deck with a wet slop._

_Luffy panted softly, eyes clenched closed as he laid on his front. He didn’t want them to know how worn out his body felt and didn’t want to show any signs of weakness, but his body wasn’t listening. Luffy had no chance to recover as bony fingers curled around his dark hair and tightened painfully. Luffy was lifted to his feet and held aloft until his bare toes no longer touched the deck. The dark haired boy squinted an eye open only to be met with the empty gaze of his musician._  
  
“Zoro-san, your artwork is so crude...” Brook stated blandly as his free hand traced over the numerous laceration that littered Luffy’s body. Without warning he shoved Luffy back against the mast. “Perhaps I should show you how it’s done? If you would, young lady...”  
  
Robin stepped forward, arms folded across her chest as she once again activated her powers, securing Luffy to the mast. Brook unsheathed his sword and pointed it at his new captain menacingly.  
  
“I have to say **Captain** , you’re not quite living up to my expectations.”  
  
Luffy clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists. This was **not** Brook!

_\---_

Brook sat solemnly amongst the group. He was the newest nakama amongst this rag-tag group and yet he already felt a fierce loyalty to the boy that led them. He looked across at Luffy silently, all humour vacant from his soul as a sense of profound failure gripped like a vice around his heart. He had already failed one crew and here he was with a second chance, letting it slip through his fleshless fingers. He didn’t shed tears or display a burst of emotion like his other crewmates, but he felt it deep inside – bone deep! Ah, no, now was not a good time for a skull joke...  
  
Franky, usually quick to blubber sat as solemn as Brook beside him. He had grown fond of his crew as they’d journeyed together and the prospect of them disbanding so soon after he’d joined them had been daunting. The mystery of just what could bring Luffy down this was had been frustrating, yet now that he knew he wished he could go back to the frustration. He wanted to apologise, to ask forgiveness of his captain. He wanted to promise Luffy that this sort of thing would never happen again. He found he didn’t have the courage to do it as his numb legs refused to make the short journey to Luffy’s side and he waited for another to make a move. He didn’t know he could be such a coward.

 

_\---_

_Franky’s head slammed into Luffy’s and the rubber boy’s skull bounced off the deck like a ball. He cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise as his head throbbed from the attack. His hands clutched at his throbbing cranium as Robin released him and he rolled onto his side, hissing as his sliced skin stung at the contact. He just didn't understand it! He was a rubber man! Attacks like this shouldn’t_ hurt _like this! He'd endured attacks from his crew before and it had been nothing like this! Something had to be boosting their power, and it was probably the thing that was making them do this. When they struck him, it felt almost as though he was being attacked by a physical form of the ocean itself as his body weakened on contact and his rubber body reacted like regular flesh and bone. Surely if it hurt him this much, it_ **had** _to have hurt Franky too, but there he was, smirking cockily without so much as a scratch! It didn’t make any sense, but then not much was making sense anymore as his head swam._

_\---_

 “Why won’t you talk to us, Luffy?” Usopp whispered, desperately. “What did we do to you? What... what did _I_ do to you?”

 “Why won’t you talk to us, Luffy?” Robin asked quietly, sadly. “We know you can, yet...” she trailed off, pain shining in her eyes. They all wanted so desperately to hear his voice again. That one utterance of pain nights before had proven to them he still had a voice. “What are you hiding, Luffy?”

Luffy didn’t offer any response as he dropped the remains of the railing to the deck. He bit down hard on his tongue to resist any temptation to reply. They’d already learned too much. He couldn’t hurt them anymore...

**_You don’t want to know…_ **

_\---_

_Luffy shook off the dizziness that made his vision swim and looked up just in time to see a sharp hoof inches from his face. The attack made contact and with a cry of shock and pain, he stumbled back and fell, thumping to the deck with one hand clutching his face. The boy quickly shook his head again and attempted to sit back up, but blinked in surprise as a pressure on his arm stopped him. Luffy turned his head to see what his rubber limb was trapped by just in time to see Sanji’s foot connected with his face. The force sent him hurtling back until he crashed into the wall beside the galley entrance. Sanji trod his foot down harder on the rubber limb still trapped under his shoe, as he applied more pressure against the smooth rubbery skin of his captain’s arm. He smirked as within a matter of seconds the rubber retraction of Luffy’s body sent the young captain hurtling back towards his attacker only to receive another kick, followed by another. Time and time again, using Luffy like a ball on a spring, the cook thrust his foot against Luffy’s battered body and sent him crashing into the ‘Thousand Sunny’, splintering her wooden walls and railings. At one point it even turned it into a game as the other crew members gave Sanji targets to see if he could make Luffy hit the mast, or the stairs, or to see how far one of the chef’s kicks could make the rubber boy stretch._

_Luffy endured each strike as his body screamed with the foreign pain of blunt trauma. Oddly there was no real pain as he crashed into the ship, only Sanji’s actual attacks hurt. As Sanji booted him across the deck once more, Luffy tried to resist as he twisted himself upright in the air and grabbed his elbow. He shook the limb like an oversized noodle which caused it to quiver and wobble and effectively made Sanji lose his footing as he stumbled off of Luffy’s arm. The rubber appendage snapped back into place and Luffy landed squarely on the deck, stumbling only slightly before he regained his balance. The boy panted warily as he watched his advancing crew. Though he’d managed a quick escape, he’d taken substantial damage and doubted he could outrun all of them, especially with Robin’s devil fruit ability. In the middle of the ocean, anchored and unmoving, there was only so long he could run._

_“You know you’re stronger than us,” Nami smirked as she strutted confidently around the younger boy. “So why don’t you fight back? Be a good captain and fight us off – or are you too weak?”_

_“I’m not weak,” Luffy replied, simply. “But I won’t hurt my Nakama.”_

_“I thought you said we weren’t your Nakama?” Nami asked, mockingly._

_“You’re not,” Luffy replied, an angry undertone lacing his voice. “But you’re in their bodies.”_

_“Stop being so heroic, **Captain**.” Franky spat out. “You can end the pain by just defeating us.”_

_“It would be so easy,” Zoro drawled, as a smirk crossed his face. “Just finish us off and get a new crew.”_

_Luffy’s eyes darkened, as his first mate uttered those words._

_“ **Nobody** could **ever** replace my Nakama!” he muttered dangerously. “ **Ever**.”_

_“That’s what they all say, but in the end all **captains** are the same,” Chopper hissed. “All they ever care about is themselves!”_

_“So stop with the noble act,” Sanji smirked as he knelt in front of Luffy and left himself wide open for attack. “And just get it over with.”_

_“ **I’ll NEVER hurt my nakama.** ”_

_The sheer force in the quiet statement seemed to stun the crew for a few moments, as they stared, wide-eyed at the glaring young captain. Soon the shock wore off though, and their expressions darkened. It seemed they weren’t happy at all with that response._

_“Have it your way then, **Captain**.” the blonde hissed as he stood once again. The rest of the crew closed in around them and Luffy squared his jaw, staring straight ahead blankly. He would take whatever they threw at him. He’d show them what kind of captain he was. It would be so easy just to try and fight them off, and if he really tried, he might just beat them all. Luffy had no doubts, though, that to attack his crew that way would leave them seriously damaged. He’d seen all they could endure and he knew he’d have to damn near kill them to keep them down. That was what these people wanted though. He didn’t know why they wanted it, but he didn’t want to give it to them, whoever _ they _were. No, he would endure this punishment and show them what a **real** captain was._


	12. One Word

Luffy wasn't good with words, but as he stared fixedly at the decks planks in a valiant attempt to avoid eye contact with his crew, he could only describe the feeling as 'heavy'. The air around him felt thick and suffocating as the thundering hammer of his heart drummed in his ears. He had tried so hard to protect them from the truth. He wasn't worried about appearing weak, he knew all too well he wasn't. His nakama's suffering was what he had tried to prevent. Seeing their pain and suffering hurt more than any physical injury could. Now he could see that in delaying this revelation he had only made it worse. They knew that now and he had no doubt that whatever spell they had been under since  _that night_  was about to break. He silently willed their blissful ignorance to continue, but he had a feeling – instinct perhaps – that somehow their tears would wash away whatever it was that clouded their vision to the truth.

He didn't want them to see the horrible things that he saw; the broken table, the blood stains. He remembered how the table broke when his body crashed into it. Sanji's heel had kicked into him enough times with such force that the wood had buckled, yet nobody seemed to notice. Ace had though; he had seen the destruction. Luffy hadn't missed Ace's comment about the 'mess' in the galley. Sanji had been embarrassed by a few dirty dishes, but Luffy knew better. He'd seen Ace stare at the evidence of his own brother's massacre. The blood staining the walls was now dry and brown. Blood had a way of permeating wood, seeping deep into every crevice like a sponge. No amount of cleaning or scrubbing would wipe away the evidencethat lay splattered around the ship.

Every night the crew held their plates in their hands and sat around the shattered remains of their table like everything was normal. It made his stomach churn at the thought. More than once he'd been present in the galley as Sanji cleaned up after dinner. He'd watch him wipe down the surfaces, wash the dishes and then approach the table, cloth in hand, only to pause with a look of confusion across his face as though he'd forgotten what he was about to do. It wasn't just Sanji though. Luffy had watched one day as the crew had walked around the deck oblivious to the galley door, thrown from its hinges, laid out at the base of the mast like a dead body. It was there yet they walked over it, on it, as though it wasn't. They couldn't see it. It was why he couldn't let himself trust them fully again or let his guard down completely. Whatever had happened to them back then was still with them, like an invisible blindfold that shrouded the truth from their eyes. Sanji couldn't see the missing door to the galley or the shattered remains of his table just like Zoro couldn't see the blood left behind on the hilt (and no doubt the blade) of his precious Wadou. He hadn't used the blade since then but the hand shaped blood-stain stood out against the white hilt. Luffy had watched the night before as Zoro had cared for the two other blades he'd used that night to defend their crew. He'd hoped to see some recognition of the ugly stain that marred the katana, but Zoro couldn't see it.

There was more damage scattered around the Sunny-Go, though Luffy was thankful for the ships almost impervious Adam-wood that resisted most of the blunt force attacks. Sometimes he wondered if maybe it was just him; his own imagination toying with him, fracturing under the weight of everything that had happened. How could he be the only one to see the blood smeared across that plate with that stupid tart!? It was the plate he'd got out for his snack when it had all started. His memory was hazy after all that had been done and his consciousness had drifted in and out but he remembered he'd heard Sanji return. In the few moments his consciousness returned he'd heard the chef move around the kitchen. He could only assume at some point Sanji had put the plate back into storage, complete with bloodstains.

It had come back to haunt him when he'd eaten the desserts with Usopp and Brook. They didn't understand why he wouldn't touch that tart, yet he could see the dried smear of blood that they couldn't. Back then he'd been confused, disoriented and didn't know what he'd been facing. Now he wondered if those vengeful souls had clung to his nakama as though pining to resume the lives themselves had lost. They'd left behind the remnants of their presence in the physical reminders of their vicious attack, so Luffy wondered once more, how could he be the only one to see? Ace's arrival had given him the tiniest sense of relief though.  _He_  had seen it too.

He couldn't tell them though. He couldn't tell Sanji that the shoes he thought were shining were in fact matted with cracked flakes of dry blood, or Nami that the clothes hanging in her wardrobe that she'd worn  _that night_  were stained with the crimson liquid (maybe if she saw them now she'd make him pay for them?). He couldn't tell any of them, and if he opened his mouth and spoke now, everything might just come slipping out. Or maybe  _they_  would show themselves again, and Luffy knew he needed more time to recover before he faced off against those 'ghosts' again. Miserably, he glanced once over his devastated crew before averting his eyes again.

"Don't turn away from us."

Zoro's order was quiet, a gentle underlying tremble to his tone. It was spoken with such finality that Luffy didn't dare disobey, he felt that if he did it could do more damage than his silence ever had. Reluctantly he lifted his gaze and fought the urge to escape this horrible situation. If he walked away from his crew now it really would be over.

First mate and Captain stared each other down apprehensively. Zoro scrutinised his younger captain wordlessly, the look in his eyes sharp and wary, as though Luffy were something dangerous; and he was. Since their first day sailing Zoro had always  _known_ Luffy. He'd known when to back him up and when to let him stand on his own two feet. Zoro had learned how to handle Luffy's physical injuries (the kid had the dextrous ability of a 5 year old when it came to bandages) and how to help him cope with the emotional ones. Luffy often seemed a simple enigma to those who met him but that had never been the case for Zoro. However, this situation was something entirely different, something new and completely foreign. How could Zoro protect his captain from himself? How could he ask Luffy to forgive him for this if there wasn't a chance in hell he could forgive himself.

Zoro looked into Luffy's eyes and sighed quietly through his nose. He could still see it there. The bold determination and self-belief he'd seen the first time they'd met, shining in those orbs. It was smaller, quieter, but it was still there and that gave him hope (as Luffy always did). All that remained now was figuring out how to move on from this. Somebody had to take the first step and as often he did, Zoro boldly took it.

"Why?" he asked.

The question lay saturated in emotion, hanging in the air like a bad odour. So many questions were squashed into that tiny word. Why had this happened? Why didn't he fight them off? Why had it taken so long to figure this out? Why Luffy? The questions were endless and though Zoro had set them in motion, he had no idea which direction to lead them in (he wasn't the best when it came to direction). So he sat with his quiet frustration and waited for Luffy to choose their next path as he always did.

Luffy's eyes darted around like a cornered animal. His mouth opened, then closed, lips pursed in a tense frown. Where could he started with a loaded question like that? He wasn't even entirely sure what Zoro was asking, but then maybe that was the point, so he would have a chance to answer what he  _wanted_ to answer first. As it was his eyes drifted guiltily between Zoro and the deck planks, then one by one to the anguished faces of his crew.

Now he could see them; really see them. Sanji stood off to one side, his fists clenched so hard his short nails were pinching into his pale skin, close to drawing blood. Nami was openly crying, fat, salty tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed silently into her hands, body jerking slightly with each sob. Usopp's dark skin was ashen, and his trembling hands held his head, though his shaking shoulders gave away the fact that he too was close to tears. Robin looked boldly into his eyes, returning his guilty look with one of her own. Chopper sat between Brook and Franky. The small doctor seemed frozen in shock, while his crewmates on either side appeared frustrated at their own participation in all of this. They were still so new on the ship and they'd already caused their captain such harm. It was painful to see the emotional turmoil amongst the crew – it was exactly what he'd been hoping to avoid. If they could have just gotten through those waters and been free of this, he could have worked his way back to them, back to _normal_ , and they would have never have had to have known!

"Luffy-san?" Brook called softly, offering Luffy a few minutes to consider his answer with the interruption. "I offer you my deepest apologies for the harm I've caused you as my friend and my captain…"

Luffy's eyes widened and he shook his head fiercely, the panic of Zoro's question momentarily forgotten. Didn't they understand? They didn't need to apologise! It wasn't their fault! It was the damned ghosts! In that moment Luffy wanted nothing more than to grab his skeletal musician, to twist his own rubbery limbs between those of his crew and pull them together and tell them it would be okay. He wanted to tell them not to feel sad or guilty, because  _he_ would be okay. He didn't though.

For a hesitant moment, Luffy almost moved forward. He knew if he could just make that first move everything else would fall into place but that stomach clenching fear he'd grown all too accustomed to, held him back. No, it wasn't his crews fault but the damage had still been done. At some point during  _that night_ Luffy's pain riddled body had left his mind addled. The distinction between his  _nakama_ and his nakama  _possessed by the ghosts_  had blurred. In his heart Luffy knew the truth, yet somewhere deep inside of him seeds of doubt had been planted.

So lost in thought, Luffy didn't notice Ace's approach until he felt his brother's heavy hands rest firmly on his shoulders. The contact startled him and he whipped his head around, wide eyed, torn from his reverie.

Ace offered his brother a compassionate smile as he recognised the fear he saw lingering in his eyes; they'd grown up together, it wasn't the first time he'd seen it. Luffy had been a brave and tough little kid to grow up with but he still got scared from time to time. It had been a long time since he'd seen that look in Luffy's eyes though.

"Maybe," he spoke softly as he gave Luffy's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You should just accept his apology for what it is?"

As though fuelled by Ace's support, Brook shifted from his seated position to his knees, placed his hands firmly on the deck and bowed his head to the floor.

"Luffy-san," he repeated, his own voice laden with emotion. "Please accept my apology…"

Franky followed suit in Brook's example. He wasn't the kind of man to bow his head to others or admit when he was wrong but he respected Luffy and if this could help him recover or feel better about what had happened then he didn't mind so much.

"I'm sorry I beat the shit outta you, captain!" he said as he mimicked Brook's apologetic stance.

Luffy's eyes widened further as he shook his head slowly. He didn't want to see this! They didn't have to…!

"Luffy…!" Usopp wailed as he too joined the apology and slammed his head hard enough into the deck to make Luffy wince. "I'm sorry…!"

"Please forgive me!" Chopper wailed suddenly, his tears finally spilling free as he rubbed at his eyes and tried to wipe them away with his hooves.

Luffy ground his teeth together in frustration, fists clenched at his side as they trembled with tension. Why were they doing this? Zoro and Sanji stayed put, silent and stoic as the rest of the crew broke down. For once they both shared the same opinion. An apology would make no difference here. What was done was done and nothing they said could go back and change that. No amount of 'sorry' would take back Luffy's pain or restore the trust between them and so instead they seethed quietly at their own inadequacy, their own inability to overcome the possession and prevent this. Robin too stayed quiet. She was not the type of woman that wore her heart on her sleeve as Nami did. She would offer Luffy her own apology in her own way and time.

"I'm so…. I-I'm so…" Nami blubbered, hiccupping on her own sobs as she shook her head. "So soh-sorry…!"

"Please forgive me!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Luffy-san…"

"Luffy!"

"I'm sorry!"

"So sorry…!"

Luffy clenched his eyes closed, his chest so tight it felt like all the breath had been forcefully squeezed from his lungs. The apologies continued to spill loosely from his nakama's mouths and with each guilt soaked word his own emotion bubbled and filled his empty insides. The tiny flame inside his heart almost extinguished by all that had happened, flickered and burst to life again, fuelled by anger and frustration at his crew's actions. Why didn't they understand they didn't have to do this? Finally, as he opened his mouth to release a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, the emotion bubbled to his throat and spilled from his mouth.

"Don't."

The silence that followed the quiet statement was palpable. It was the first word uttered from Luffy's lips since  _that night_. Luffy's own expression mirrored that of his astonished crew, as though the word had slipped from his lips by accident. The apologies had stopped though and there was nothing left to hide anyway.

"Luffy…" Usopp uttered, breathless.

"Don't." Luffy repeated, his voice raspy but firm as he bowed his head and shook it from side to side. "No more…"

For a moment it seemed as though time stood still. Nobody dared move and the only sounds that drifted through the air were the mingled breaths of the shocked crew and the quiet groan of the Sunny-Go as she floated on the waves. Finally the spell was broken as Luffy pushed himself to his feet with a wince, shrugged of Ace's hands on his shoulders and padded away from his nakama; somehow it all seemed anticlimactic. He settled against the railing, hands gripping the wood beneath them and stared out to stretch of ocean before him.

It was Zoro who moved second as he too rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders. Something in his stance had changed though, small but significant. He gazed at Luffy’s back for a long, thoughtful moment before he turned and made his way toward the galley, but paused and turned back to face his captain once more.

"Oi," he called, "Don't stay out here too long."

With that he made his way inside. Luffy half turned at Zoro's request and though his eyes were shadowed by his hair, the crew still caught a glimpse of the slightest smile that touched his lips before he turned away from them again. Zoro's words had been a small display of confidence in Luffy. Ever since this startedthe crew had coddled him and smothered him, treated him like he couldn't take care of himself. In those first few days that might have been true, but after that the attention had only suffocated him, fuelled the paranoia and uncertainty the attack had left him with. Zoro finally understood what he needed was  _space_ ; maybe now they all would.

Sanji hesitated a moment before he too headed off towards the galley. He called over his shoulder, "Oi! Usopp, Franky! It's your turn to help with dinner prep."

The barked order seemed to snap the crew from their stupor. Usopp seemed reluctant to leave things as they were and glanced meekly between Sanji and Luffy. Another stern glare from Sanji had him rising to his feet though. Franky too climbed to his feet and followed in tow behind the pair. Quietly he muttered, "Is it alright to leave him like that?"

"He's fine." Sanji replied nonchalantly.

Usopp didn't seem so sure but decided to trust Zoro and Sanji's judgement. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly before he smiled and asked, "So, what's for dinner tonight?"

Sanji appraised him with a thoughtful glance before his lips lifted in a small smile and he began to list of the night's meal. Nami watched them, somewhat disgruntled by the sudden change in atmosphere. How could they just pretend this hadn't happened like that? One second they were on their knees apologising and the next they're walking around chatting like nothing at all was ever wrong in the first place. A hand on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts and she turned to see Robin's smiling face. She returned the smile with a perplexed look.

"Nami, how about we have a bath?"

"What?" Nami asked, brow furrowed at the sheer absurdity of their behaviour. "How can you ask that? We… do you  _realise_ what we've done?"

"Of course." Robin replied, then quieter she added, "But Luffy isn't the type of man to dwell on such things, so perhaps we should follow his lead as we always have?"

"But Robin…" Nami replied, trailing off as she found she really couldn't argue with what Robin had said. She just hoped she could convey the emotions she was feeling through the look in her eyes.

Robin smiled once again and said, "I understand. Come, have a bath. You'll feel better."

Nami sighed softly and nodded. She looked over and studied Luffy's back thoughtfully, but when he didn't turn around she finally relented and climbed shakily to her feet. She and Robin then headed to the bathroom to relax. As soon as the crew had departed Luffy released the breath he'd been holding with a heavy sigh and sagged against the railing heavy with emotion. Ace remained with him, unwilling to leave him alone on the deck. It wasn't that he didn't trust Luffy, but with all that had happened, Ace wanted to be there for him should he want to talk now his silence was finally broken. He moved to stand beside his younger brother and leaned languidly against the railing next to him.

Luffy didn't offer any acknowledgement to his presence and Ace didn't push him for any more answers. His crew would be doing that soon enough. They stayed there together in silent companionship until the sun started to set. Now and again one of the crew slipped by on their way to another part of the ship. Some lingered hopefully, only to be dismissed by a stern look from Ace. When Luffy was ready he would face his crew again but until then he planned to act as a barrier between them.

Just as the sun began to dip over the horizon, Zoro emerged from the lookout where he had spent the past few hours rigorously training. Like Ace, he didn't press Luffy for any more than he was ready to willingly give and merely lowered himself to the deck to meditate a few metres from the two brothers.

Some hours ago Ace had started a quiet, one sided chatter. He reminisced cheerfully about his own adventures. His soft voice stopped and started as he remembered this tale and that and when they fell into silence once more it wasn't uncomfortable. Equally when his conversation started it was neither false in emotion nor forced. Luffy found himself slowly relaxing between the calm tone of his brother's voice and the comfortable silence between it.

The crimson glow of the fiery sunset slowly faded and left the occupants of the deck in shadow, illuminated by the moonlight. At some point most of the crew had joined them in their silent reverie, scattered across the deck like raindrops. Some spoke quietly amongst themselves while others sat in quiet contemplation, patiently waiting for the next move Luffy would make. Brook thrummed out a quiet melody and Ace couldn't help but feel the tune matched the mood aboard the ship; quiet and somewhat melancholy. It was a time they all needed – a moment to accept the shocking revelations the day had brought and let them really sink in to their hearts and minds.

The only two absent from the deck were Nami and Sanji. The cook remained dutifully at his post as chef and prepared the meals for the day. In between he strayed out to enjoy a cigarette in the gentle sea breeze. He kept his distance from Luffy, partly so his smoke was kept away from him but mostly to give himself time to work off the frustration the morning had brought. Zoro had his weights and Sanji had his kitchen but their goals were ultimately the same. Shortly before sunset, Nami had joined him in the galley and offered to help with the night's dinner preparations. Sanji of course initially refused any assistance from one of his lovely ladies, but Nami had looked at him with an expression that begged him to understand. She couldn't face Luffy right now. It didn't matter if he acknowledged her or not; she couldn't look at him knowing she played a part in what had happened to him. So Sanji accepted her offer. To berate her would only make him a hypocrite as he himself hid away in his kitchen.

The sky had been dark an hour when Sanji called them for dinner. There was initial reluctance amongst the crew to act on Sanji's call when Luffy didn't move from his spot to go inside. A gentle tug on Luffy's arm startled him from his labyrinth of thoughts, however, and he looked at Ace – the perpetrator – with a mixture of confusion and surprise as though only just noticing his presence beside him. For once he had been left to his thoughts without interruption and he seemed bewildered to realise the daylight had escaped without him noticing. Ace offered him a knowing smile, quietly glad to see no fear or turmoil lingering in his brother's bright eyes.

"It's time for dinner." Ace said, softly, and nodded towards the waiting crew. "We've been waiting for you. You skipped lunch."

Luffy blinked owlishly up at him and Ace could almost hear the  _"I did?"_ in his mind. Luffy nodded then and turned away from the railing, stiff and sore from his stillness. Chopper eyed him with unmasked concern. Luffy's bandages should have been changed and his wounds cleaned hours ago. His only comfort lay in the hope the sea spray would have done them some good, but he would be sure to insist on dealing with them after dinner. A stern look from Ace had deterred him earlier but he was Luffy's doctor and he'd be damned if he let Luffy get an infection because of an overprotective big brother.

Luffy slowly made his way to the galley followed by wary crew. He sat down stiffly at the broken table with a quiet hiss of pain, still somewhat dazed from his deep thought. The crew ate silently, their eyes on their captain. Luffy didn't seem to notice as he scraped his nutrient filled meal from side of the plate to the other, uninterested.

"Not hungry, Luffy?" Sanji asked, suddenly, his voice garishly loud in the subdued room.

Luffy looked up and blinked, surprised by the unexpected voice. He'd once again been lost in thought.

"Is it nice?" Ace asked, earnestly from beside Luffy.

Luffy couldn't answer him. He hadn't touched a single piece to his lips and didn't know.

"Let me try." Ace chirped and reached over, dipping his finger in Luffy's food, snagging a finger-full before popping it in his mouth. "Mmm~! Delish!"

To say Luffy looked gobsmacked would be an understatement. Food had been a tedious battle with him in his recovery as he struggled to keep it down. His hunger had slowly returned, only dulled now by deep thought, but had never expected that his brother might take his food if he didn't eat it.

"Is it that nice?" Usopp piped up across from Luffy. Ace nodded.

A thieving finger from his left brought Luffy's attention once again to his plate and then bewildered to the digits owner – Zoro – who too had stolen some of his food. His jaw dropped ever so slightly as Zoro hummed appreciatively and eyed the remainder on the plate. "Not gonna eat that?" he asked with a smirk.

Luffy's shock faded to indignant disbelief as he coiled one arm around the plate and hunched over it protectively. He shot an annoyed look first at Ace and then Zoro before finally tucking into his meal. The crew watched on, a little of the heaviness lifted from their hearts. Sanji's soft smile spoke volumes, no words needed as he watched his captain eat; his pride was obvious. For now things seemed almost normal, but the meal would come to an end soon enough and Ace had no doubt their questions couldn't be staved off for much longer.


	13. Unconventional Medicine

"Can you lift your arms?"

Luffy obeyed the gentle request without protest and raised his arms into the air. Chopper moved closer to unwrap the bandages from around his torso. He didn't miss how his captain's body tensed at his approach, nor did he let on that he'd noticed. He'd seen for himself earlier how normalcy had brought Luffy a little closer to them again and though his heart was still heavy with guilt he persevered with focus on Luffy's injuries to distract himself from his own emotions. Now was the time to be a doctor, not a friend.

Ace stood beside Luffy and watched, quietly disturbed as each layer of bandage was carefully peeled away to reveal a rainbow of bruises, scabs and burns. It seemed with each strip of gauze a new injury was revealed on Luffy's battered body.

Chopper worked diligently as he cut away the final, thick layer of bandages to reveal a hideous wound stitched closed over Luffy's heart. Ace couldn't help but gape, a look of shock and horror plastered across his face. Though he’d watched Luffy’s wounds get redressed the night before hehadn’t seen _this_ one. Luffy watched him carefully, studying his reaction with uncertainty lingering in his.

"It's healing well." Chopper said, as he too noticed Ace's gaze.

Ace turned to him, shocked to see a genuine smile on the small doctor's face. It disturbed him to see it there. If the state of this wound now had Chopper pleased then how did it look when it was inflicted? Chopper saw Ace's disturbed look but said nothing more on the matter as he wiped down the inflamed skin around the injury swiftly and tenderly. He felt Luffy's tension slowly melt away as the minutes passed by and smiled to himself, quietly pleased. They'd come so far in such a short time. A few days ago Luffy couldn't stand to be this close to any of them and now he was slowly relaxing under his care. It gave a sense of pride to the small doctor.

Chopper worked more carefully as he wiped over the ugly wound on Luffy's chest.

"Does that hurt?" he asked, distractedly.

"…no."

Chopper paused, swallowed and with great difficulty, continued his work as though he hadn't heard his captain's quiet voice – because that didn't make him happy at all damn it!

"G… Good!" he stuttered out as he blinked back happy tears.

Chopper continued to work on the wounds until he was satisfied they were clean and treated to his standards. It was a huge relief to see Luffy finally calm enough to be treated properly. Just days ago he'd been forced to give him sedatives whenever his injuries required treatment. Chopper's heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.

"Okay, Luffy!" he chirped as he leaned back and surveyed his work. "All done!"

A sudden weight on his head made Chopper pause and he looked up at Luffy's outstretched arm, the hand resting atop Chopper's hat. Luffy gazed down at his doctor before he patted the pink hat affectionately and pushed himself off the cot and to his feet.

"Thanks, Chopper." He muttered as he walked by the tearful reindeer and departed with a final pat.

"T…That doesn't m-make me happy at a-all!" Chopper sobbed as happy tears soaked his fur and a blush tinted the skin underneath. As an afterthought he called to Luffy. "Get p-plenty of rest!"

"Mm." Luffy replied wordlessly with a nod. He lingered in the doorway a moment and Ace pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning on to follow after him. Chopper watched and sniffled quietly as the two brothers left. In the moment he couldn't help but be reminded of Zoro and the bond the swordsman shared with Luffy. On that thought the giddiness from earlier returned and unleashed a thousand butterflies into his furry tummy. He dashed from the infirmary towards to the galley to share his exciting new with the crew – Luffy had spoken to him!

Luffy eased himself down into his bed with a quiet groan as his body protested his earlier stillness. He released a heavy sigh of exhaustion and lifted an arm to cover his face. Ace settled on the side of the bed and watched him, pride shining in his eyes.

"You did well, little brother." He praised, softly. "It must have been hard."

Luffy grunted a noncommittal response.

"You're probably tired." Ace continued as he stood to turn out the lights. He paused when he felt a tug on his shorts and looked back to find Luffy's fingers enclosed around the fabric. Luffy was propped up on one arm, eyes shining with uncertainty.

"Stay," he whispered, voice quivering with emotion. "Don't go…"

Ace smiled fondly back at him. He lifted his own arm and bopped his closed fist down lightly on Luffy's head. Luffy winced slightly and Ace smirked when he saw the beginnings of a pout.

"Idiot," he chided softly. "I was just turning out the lights."

Luffy visibly relaxed at the explanation but didn't release his hold on Ace's shorts. They lingered a few moments like that before Ace finally relented to Luffy's pleading look and resumed his seat at the edge of Luffy's bed. The lights could wait; perhaps they'd keep Luffy's demons from his dreams.

"Get some rest, little brother." He said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Luffy seemed satisfied with his answer and reluctantly surrendered himself to sleep, though his fingers remained closed around the fabric of his brother's shorts long after dreams had taken him.

\---

_The possessed Straw hats leered down at the panting, sweating boy at their feet. They stood in a circle around their exhausted captain and marvelled at their work. Multiple burns marred his body from Nami's and Usopp's attacks; parts of his skin were charred black and he coughed weakly against the chemicals in Usopp's pellets. Blood dribbled from countless slashes and gashes littered over his battered body. The thick liquid lazily tracked across pale skin to stain the galley floor. Breathing had started to become a chore a little while ago as his neck had swollen from the constant constriction of the noose, which had also left a nasty rope burn around his throat._

They'd given him another drug; something that made his mind all fuzzy and foggy. He couldn't really understand what they were saying… who were they again? The injured boy blinked groggily as he strained to comprehend what was happening. He narrowed his eyes and struggled to focus on the blurry figures that hovered over him. Was this a dream? Funny, they'd never hurt before…

They were talking, asking questions again and he gave the same answer he'd given for what seemed like hours now. He couldn't even hear what they were saying but he just kept giving the same answer.

"My nakama will come for me…" he wheezed as his head swam and the room tilted back and forth around him. "They'll help me… they'll come."

His voice was weak and his throat burned, but his spirit was strong. He knew his nakama would come for him when they realised he was in trouble. They'd help him get away from these people, whoever they were, and then they could go on to the next island. Chopper would probably fuss for a while about his injuries but that was fine. He knew his nakama would come, he couldn't even remember why they were coming, but they were, and that's all that mattered, because he knew he could count on them to get him out of the messes he got himself into.

He was yanked roughly from his thoughts as a strong hand ripped at his hair and pulled him to face his captor.

"We **_are_** _your nakama, fool!" Zoro hissed, smirking cruelly into his captain's face._

_Luffy's eyes widened and somewhere inside of him he knew it wasn't true, but right now the only thing he could feel was panic. His Nakama were right here. They'd done this to him! Why? Why?! His mind couldn't find the answers. Where was he? Why was he here? Why were they doing this? The crew above him smirked and readied their weapons._

**_Why are they hurting me?_ ** _It was Luffy's last though before darkness came to claim him._

\---

Luffy jerked awake with a strangled gasp. His chest heaved and his eyes darted blindly, fearfully about the dark room. Slowly, as they adjusted to the blackness around him and his ragged breathing eased, he could hear the mingled snoring of his crewmates asleep in their beds. It was late, he realised, as he waited anxiously for the strangling tendrils of the nightmare still wrapped tightly around his beating heart to release their hold. Everybody was asleep, including his brother whose hand he held clasped in his own. At some point Ace had shifted from the bed to the floor and replaced Luffy's hold on his shorts to his hand. He didn't rouse from his slumber as Luffy released his tight grip and eased Ace's hand back down to the floor. Luffy was grateful. He didn't want his brother to see him like this; he wasn't a child anymore.

"Another nightmare?"

The quiet voice startled Luffy and his body twisted to face its owner. Zoro gazed back at him sleepily. He saw the swordsman look him over briefly before he climbed from his bed and motioned with a nod of his head for Luffy to follow as he left the cabin. Luffy lingered uncertainly for a moment before he too crept from the room. Zoro waited for him outside and when Luffy emerged he led his captain to the galley.

Luffy fidgeted nervously as they entered. His eyes wandered to the faded blood stain on the floor. It had been scrubbed rigorously but the remnants of the crimson liquid still remained in patchy stains. Zoro either didn't notice or chose not to show he did as he made his way to the food storage and began rummaging around.

"Found it!" he proclaimed and smirked as he held up two sake bottle triumphantly with a smirk.

Luffy didn't give any outward reaction to his statement but Zoro didn't seem bothered as he retrieved a candle from one of the drawers and lit it. He moved towards the closest wall and eased himself down to the floor, casting Luffy an expectant look. Luffy hesitated once again, still unnerved by the nightmare. Zoro seemed unfazed though and instead turned his attention to the first sake bottle as he opened it and took a swig. Luffy watched him for a few moments longer before he mustered up his courage and moved to join him. Zoro smirked up at him quietly pleased and patted the spot beside him, inviting Luffy to join him on the floor. Luffy slid down the wall with a quiet grunt of pain as his fresh stitches ached. He was quietly glad for their location though. Lately sitting at the table in their awkward and tense silences felt more like torture. Sitting beside Zoro now he still felt a bubble of anxiety, but it felt  _normal_.

With his captain now under the candlelight, Zoro could see the faint tremble of his body. He didn't know whether it was nerves from sitting close as they were or remnants of adrenaline from the nightmare, but he didn't make it a point to show he'd noticed. The sweat that had coated Luffy's skin when he'd woken was now dry and sticky. Zoro wordlessly pushed himself to his feet and fetched a wet cloth so Luffy could wipe his face. The young captain took it gratefully and scrubbed it over his sticky skin. When he pulled the cloth from his eyes he blinked at the sight of Zoro offering him the open bottle of sake with a mischievous grin. It was half empty, Luffy noticed, as he took it from his first mate. He didn't often drink, usually only after battles and adventures, but when he did he preferred Sanji's special cocktail rum. As he stared from Zoro to the bottle and back again though, he shrugged and tipped it to his lips, swallowing a mouthful before offering it back. Zoro chuckled as Luffy pulled a face at the taste and took another swig himself.

"This is all pretty fucked up, eh?" he commented as he leaned back against the wall.

Luffy nodded and leaned his own head back against the wall. He heard Zoro take another gulp and held out his hand for the bottle. Zoro relinquished it with an amused smirk and watched as Luffy drank. He was quietly glad Luffy had decided to join him; he'd sleep better with a half decent drink warming his belly.

The two sat in companionable silence as they worked their way through the two bottles of sake. Any other time would have seen Zoro polish both bottles off effortlessly in no time before he sauntered back to bed, but he made certain to slow his pace so that Luffy would have a generous enough helping. He didn't plan to get the kid drunk; Luffy was in enough pain as it was without a hangover. He figured a bit of sake would ease his aches and relax his mind enough to get a decent sleep.

"This," Zoro said, as he reached over and gently rapped his knuckles against Luffy's bandaged chest. "My handiwork?"

Luffy looked down at his chest and then back to Zoro, his gaze thoughtful as though considering his answer. Zoro was pleased to see no change in Luffy's demeanour though; he still seemed fairly relaxed despite the intrusive question. Finally Luffy inclined his head slightly in a nod. It was an answer Zoro didn't really need to hear. He knew his blades and he knew their work. His suspicions were raised the moment he'd seen the horrible injury the first time, but until now he'd uncharacteristically ignored his instincts and the nagging feeling that whispered the truth into the back of his brain where he'd refused to listen. He didn't need to hear it from Luffy to know he'd dealt his captain the injury that had almost cost him his life, but he felt the subject needed to be breeched and he wasn't the type of man to tiptoe around a problem.

Luffy watched Zoro's reaction, his eyes shimmering in the flickering candlelight. He could tell Zoro had expected the answer he'd given and yet the swordsman couldn't hide the flash of guilt and hurt at Luffy's silent confirmation. He felt oddly calm and silently thanked Zoro for the shared booze. He had no doubt the light anxious flutter of his heart in his chest would be much worse if he hadn't had his share of the sake.

"I thought so." Zoro finally said as his eyes wandered to the floorboards and studied them with an unfocussed gaze, lost in thought. Though he'd been prepared for the truth he couldn't deny it still felt unreal.

Luffy watched Zoro slowly soak the information in. He often saw emotion in the man's eyes where others saw none and though the man's face was stony and cold, Luffy could see the raw hurt that shone in his eyes. Gingerly, awkwardly, he shuffled closer and closed the gap between them. Zoro turned to him, surprised by the action. Luffy ignored the nervous stammer of his heart and reached up. Rough fingers gripped battered straw as Luffy did the only thing he could think to. He plopped his precious hat onto his first mates head and leaned his own rubbery noggin on Zoro's meaty shoulder. Deep down, he knew the truth. It wasn't Zoro; he wouldn't never betray him like that.

It wasn't Zoro…

"What?" Zoro asked, his voice barely more than a mumble.

Luffy's brow furrowed as he realised he'd spoken his thoughts aloud. He tipped his head up and almost,  _almost_ laughed at the uncharacteristic owlish look Zoro was sporting. The gentle upwards lift to Luffy's lips did more for the swordsman than words ever could, though he didn't deny it was a pretty damn good feeling to hear Luffy's voice again.

"Not me, huh?" he replied with a smirk. "You already told me it was, you know."

"Mm," Luffy noised as he shook his head from side to side awkwardly against Zoro's shoulder. "It was Zoro's body, and Zoro's swords," he paused a moment to consider his words and swallow back the scratchy feeling in his throat. Annoyance sparked to life as he couldn't find the right words to convey what he wanted to say and finally, he settled on, "But it wasn't Zoro."

Zoro met his gaze briefly before he leaned back against the wall again, careful not to damage the prized straw hat that sat proudly on his head. Luffy didn't say it in so many words, but its presence there meant only one thing. He trusted him again, even if only a little.

"Yeah, I get it." Zoro finally conceded with a soft smile.

Luffy seemed satisfied with the response and the two resumed their companionable silence interrupted only by the creaky lullaby of the Sunny as she bobbed on the waves. Luffy yawned widely and pushed himself away from Zoro as he shook his head lightly. The sake had started to leak into his brain; it made his limbs heavy and his head foggy. He didn't even hear Sanji come in. It was only Zoro's change in expression that alerted him to the fact they were no longer alone.

"Got a problem, shitty cook?" Zoro challenged.

At first Sanji didn't reply, clad in only his trousers. He'd fallen asleep reading and had woken just a few moments earlier to use the bathroom, only to notice the lack of captain and first mate upon his return. It wasn't that he didn't trust Zoro with Luffy, but after all they'd heard the day before he wasn't about to take any chances. Now he felt a mix of irritation and relief. His concern had been unfounded and here the two idiots sat with the remains of two sake bottles between them looking like a pair of kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Admittedly, Zoro seemed more annoyed at his interruption than guilty. Sanji swiped a hand over his face and chewed his lip with an agitated sigh. He'd kill for a cigarette right now. Instead he opted for the next best thing; he sauntered over to the guilty pair, lowered himself down to sit opposite them, and snatched the remains of the bottle they'd been sharing and took a swig. Well, if you can't beat 'em…

"The hell are you two doing in here?" he grumbled before he took another drink to chase away the ebbing adrenaline that had been building ever since he'd found his crewmates missing from their beds.

"None of your business, Dart-brow."

"Che. It's my business when you're in  _my_ kitchen drinking  _my_ alcohol, Marimo!"

Luffy watched silently as Zoro and Sanji tossed insults back and forth and slowly became more and more aggressive. Oddly, the aggression didn't frighten him; instead he felt a quiet elation. He hadn't seen them act like this since  _forever_! It had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the sake in his belly right now that was making him feel a little giddy and dizzy.

Sanji paused mid-insult as he noticed Luffy lift a hand shakily to his head. A brief glance of his captain in the candlelight shifted the cook's attention to Luffy completely as he noticed a light rosy tint to his cheeks. The last thing they needed was Luffy's fever returning.

"Oi, you feeling alright, Luffy?" he asked and without thinking he lifted his hand, pressing the back to Luffy's forehead to check his temperature. He realised his mistake too late but was surprised to see a lack of reaction from Luffy. The rubber man merely lifted his eyes to stare at the intrusive limb in a sleepy, curious way. Sanji pulled his hand back a few seconds later, satisfied Luffy's fever hadn't returned. Then it dawned on him as he scrutinised the slightly unfocussed expression on Luffy's face just what the problem was and his head snapped around to roar accusingly at Zoro, "You got him drunk!"

"Ehh?!" Zoro noised back, shocked at the sudden outburst. "He's not drunk!"

"Like hell he isn't!" Sanji snapped, "What kind of idiot are you?! If Chopper doesn't kill you in the morning, Nami-san will!"

"He's not drunk!" Zoro insisted, hackles raised at Sanji's warning. "He's just had a drink to help him sleep!"

"Did you bother to check how the alcohol might be affected by whatever drugs Chopper's got him on?!" Sanji spat back as he rubbed his temples. Zoro opened his mouth to fire back a retort but found himself unusually empty on ammunition. He  _hadn't_ really considered that and Luffy  _did_ look pretty spaced out now. His lack of response was enough of an answer for Sanji and resigned he muttered, "You idiot."

Zoro's cheeks burned and he turned his face away stubbornly. "It's not like he's had a lot." He grumbled.

"He's had enough." Sanji muttered back as he pushed himself to his feet and went to fetch a glass of water. "We should get him back to bed before…" Sanji paused then and his head canted gently to the side as he walked back and crouched before Luffy. The kid was grinning like an idiot in that perfectly annoying way he always did. "And just what are you so happy about, eh?" Sanji asked as he held out the water and offered it to Luffy.

Luffy laughed softly and took it without question. He looked from Sanji to Zoro affectionately and Sanji couldn't help but smile back.

"Something funny?" Sanji asked, softer this time, amused by Luffy's good humour.

Luffy shook his head from side to side as his grin widened.

"This is  _my_ Sanji," he said as he reached out with his free hand and pressed his palm to Sanji's chest. "And  _my_ Zoro."

His voice was softer than Sanji remembered and for a few seconds all he could do was stare at his delighted captain. He finally shook off the shock and looked at Zoro, who wore a smug smirk. Sanji could deduce he'd already spoken to Luffy in whatever time they'd spent together before he'd arrived. It struck him that what Luffy had said was true. This was the most  _normal_  he'd felt in weeks and knowing what he now knew, he could truly see that all their tiptoeing around Luffy had only dealt him more harm. How could he learn to trust his crew if they didn't act like his crew? Sanji was really beginning to understand the direction he should take now. He hesitated briefly to consider his options before his shock dissolved into a pleased smirk. "Idiot." He chastised gently. "We've always been 'yours'. Drink your water so you're not sick in the morning."

Luffy nodded, tipped the glass back and downed the contents. Sanji took the glass from him and Zoro took the wordless cue to climb to his feet. He offered Luffy his hand and was glad when the boy took it. Luffy stumbled dizzily for a second or two before he shook off the head rush caused by the sudden motion.

"Zoro, Sanji." Luffy called, softly as he steadied himself against the wall. His suddenly serious expression sobered the giddy mood and the two men braced themselves for whatever their young captain would tell them. Luffy stared at them evenly and said in a slightly surprised tone, "I think I'm drunk."

Zoro gaped and Sanji smacked his palm to his forehead in exasperation. They were going to be so dead in the morning.

"Let's get you to bed, Captain." Sanji sighed as the trio began their awkward stumble/walk back to the boy's cabin.

By the time they finally had Luffy tucked up in bed and sleeping soundly the first cries of the seabirds sounded. It was almost dawn. Zoro and Sanji continued a whispered/muttered argument over whose fault it was that this had happened (Sanji was definitely to blame since he bought the sake, by Zoro's reasoning.). Luffy dozed on in a blissfully dreamless sleep.

 


	14. Silence Broken

"The hell?!"

Luffy jolted awake with a gasp and flailed uselessly from his teetering position on the side of his bed. He crashed down onto the hard wooden floor with a grunt and a heavy thud. He could hear the shocked voices of the crew as they joined Sanji's. Exclamations of shock sounded from all over the ship and his half lidded eyes slipped closed as he sighed with relief. It was finally over; the spell had broken.

A sudden obnoxious snore alerted Luffy to the fact he wasn't alone and sleepy eyes dragged back open. Curiosity won over fatigue as he pushed himself up on trembling arms. His whole body ached from his unplanned participation in the battle with the bandits. He hadn't noticed before, with everything that happened yesterday. It was as if his mind had been absent from his body.   
  
As Luffy pushed himself upright he peeked over the side of the bunk next to his own and the corners of his mouth lifted at the sight of Zoro, sprawled in his own bed. He had a lot to thank him for; a good night's sleep had worked wonders on his exhausted mind. The generous helping of sake had done better for the fractured trust between them. He had been drunk last night but it wasn't the usual buzzy feeling he got. Luffy vaguely recalled Sanji mention something about mixing alcohol with medicine. Was that bad? Well, his head did hurt but it wasn't much compared to his aching body. He was fine now, though his memory was a little fuzzy from the moment Sanji arrived. He remembered most of the time he'd spent with Zoro and how his crewmates had argued. It had been… nice. Almost normal. Luffy felt like the invisible wall that had separated them for the past few weeks was beginning to crumble.

For a few moments he closed his eyes and quietly enjoyed the small feeling of normalcy. If he tried, he could pretend all the fuss upstairs had nothing to do with the horrors of the past week. He could imagine the raised voices could instead be the familiar playful bickering his crew always engaged in.

Zoro snored on, oblivious to the turmoil on deck and Luffy opened his eyes and looked at him once again. His battered old straw hat lay tilted clumsily over the top half of Zoro's face which left only his gaping mouth visible. Luffy's smile widened; he'd let Zoro keep the hat for a little longer to say thank you.

"Oh, Luffy, you're awake!" Ace's voice rang out smoothly from the doorway, an easy smile on his face. "Did you sleep well?"

Ace walked over to his brother and crouched in front of him. It pleased him to see no sign of the shadows haunting Luffy's usually bright eyes.

"Mm," Luffy replied and nodded.

"Good." Ace said as he reached over and ruffled Luffy's hair.

"Luffy, you're awake!" came another cry from the doorway, Chopper this time. He scrambled in, frantic as he searched for anything out of place in the cabin. "Luffy! It's terrible! All over the ship!"

Luffy watched sedately as Chopper flitted back and forth in his explanation. It was nothing new to Luffy after all. He'd been looking at it since it happened, but he waited patiently for the little reindeer to exhaust himself. When it looked as though the tearful tirade was over, Luffy gripped the side of the wooden hammock and accepted his brother's hand to get to his feet. His limbs felt heavier now that he was standing, but he'd felt worse. Hi lifted his right arm and flexed the muscle to test its strength. He hadn't stretched much since this had all started. Doing so would have agitated the burns and lacerations that littered his body. Now his arms were almost completely free of bandages, the wounds healing. His body was on its way back to normalcy and so was his life; it was time to make things right again.

Ace moved aside and fell into step beside his brother as he headed towards the door. Luffy paused as he reached Chopper, to once again rest a comforting hand atop the reindeer's hat. He offered his friend a small smile of understanding. Chopper sniffled and uttered Luffy's name in a desperate way that told him without words his crew needed his guidance now. They needed their captain.

"Oi, Zoro…" Luffy called without turning back.

His voice was soft but it was enough to rouse his first mate. Zoro paused mid snore and reached up to lift the hat from his face, a sleepy, grumpy expression greeted Luffy from beneath. "Ahh?" he noised.

"It's time to eat." Luffy said, his voice louder now, more confident. He needed Zoro there if he were to sort this out; he didn't want to have to go through it twice.

Zoro contemplated the statement for a second or two before he yawned noisily and pushed himself up from the bunk. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

Luffy nodded his acknowledgement and made his way out of the cabin. He squinted in the sunlight. The heavy cloud cover of the last couple of days had cleared to reveal bright blue skies. Even the daylight seemed happy to see him clawing his way back from the hell he'd slipped into. The feeling wasn't mutual, though, as the bright sunlight caused his headache to flare to life.

Usopp and Franky were on the lower-deck, each ranting about the damage they could see. Luffy could hear Nami and Sanji in the galley and instead decided to head that way. No doubt the others would follow in search of answer once they realised he was there.

As he reached the galley, Luffy heard the hushed, urgent voices from within and paused. A flutter of anxiety blossomed in his stomach and he tried to swallow it back. His breath hitched as his hand hovered over the door handle, apprehensive, as though it might bite him. He lingered only a moment longer before he released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding. He drew strength from the presence of the people waiting patiently behind him and entered.

He walked into the galley and the panicked voices from within hushed. The occupants of the room (all accounted for save for Usopp and Franky) watched apprehensively as Luffy entered. Zoro and Ace followed behind him and Robin took it upon herself to alert the missing two about impromptu meeting. A polite, if somewhat urgent pat on the back and gesture towards the galley from a disembodied arm brought them in soon enough.

The Strawhats watched their captain with uncertainty. Luffy felt a shiver creep down his spine at the lack of normalcy that had grown so familiar and had him on edge for so long. It was ironic. He shook the feeling off with a soft huff, ignoring the fact that even Zoro had stilled with shock behind him at the sight of the demolished galley. Ace remained silent. As soon as he'd confirmed what had taken place between Luffy and his crew that night things had started to fall into place. Luffy's tension and nerves made sense considering the obliviousness amongst his shipmates. It wasn't normal to sit and eat around a broken table, after all. He had been tempted to speak up time and again, but one look at Luffy and he understood without words that he had to keep his silence. It wasn't his place and he trusted Luffy to make the right decision. Watching the Strawhats now he didn't doubt his little brother had done just that. The kid wouldn't have been ready to handle this the way he was even a couple of days ago, let alone when this had all started. There was no way he'd have been able to explain to his crew what had happened – he hadn't even known himself.

Luffy's eyes flitted from one crewmate to the next. He could see their confusion and maybe even a little fear. To them it must have looked as though another attack had occurred overnight. He wondered if their apprehension stemmed from that. Were they worried about his reaction to the destruction around the ship? How were they to know he'd been looking at it for weeks now? Normalcy, Luffy decided, was the way forward. He needed his crew to be his crew again. They had worked hard to rekindle the trust between captain and crew as they'd watched him fall apart in front of their eyes. Now it was his turn to be strong for them. He strode to one of the seats situated around the broken table and plonked himself down, ignoring his aching body.

"Hahhh, I'm hungry." He sighed.

For a moment Luffy wondered if his action might have knocked a screw loose in the minds of his crew as they gaped at him like dead fish. A second later the room was abuzz with life again as a shock of excitement fizzled through the crew. Something as simple as hearing Luffy’s voice again perished the thoughts of immediate peril brought on by the damages around them, even if only for a moment. The reaction satisfying. Nami gasped; Franky, Usopp and Chopper burst into tears as Franky hollered, "I'm not crying, damn it! I've got something in my eye! It's terrible!"

Sanji's eyes gleamed with excitement as a wide smile stretched across his face. It had been so long since he'd heard that from Luffy he hadn't even realised how much he'd missed it. Robin smiled as that mischievous glint sparkled to life in her eyes. The tension in her shoulders relaxed as she too took a seat. Brook watched passively from his roost behind Robin. He gazed at Luffy with the vacant hollows where his eyes should be and felt a gentle pride blossom in his chest that sent his heart aflutter – well, it would if he had one that is! Luffy appeared to resurrect himself before his very eyes. He would know about these things having been through the process once himself, you know! For the moment Luffy's panic subsided and he smiled to himself as he watched varying reactions from his crew.

"What'll it be then, Captain?" Sanji asked as he strolled towards Luffy in a confident stride Luffy hadn't realised he'd missed.

"Mm," Luffy noised thoughtfully before he offered Sanji a blank stare. "Meat."

Zoro couldn't help the snort that escaped him and Sanji chuckled and shook his head. Still grinning, the cook muttered, "I guess I should have known the answer to that one."

"Mm!" Luffy agreed with a nod and a smile, a slow confidence flooding through his body at his crew's behaviour. It made him feel strong again.

"Who am I to deny the request of my captain?" Sanji replied as he turned towards the stove. If Luffy had asked him to leap into the sea and fetch him a fresh sea king to spit roast he probably would have in that moment. As it was he glanced back at the remaining crew and barked: "Oi, sit your asses down and stop crying, you idiots!" then added, tone slathered with honey, "Robin-chwan, Nami-swan, breakfast will be ready soon!"

Zoro huffed but took the seat beside Luffy all the same. Usopp scrambled to plunder the empty seat on Luffy's other side, much to Chopper's dismay. Franky dropped into the seat beside Robin as he accepted an offered tissue from the dark haired woman and blew his nose.

"I'm not crying, bastard!" he protested as he dabbed at his wet eyes. "I got a nail in my eye!"

Chopper blanched, his lost seat forgotten as he fussed around the blubbering cyborg.

"Oi, oi!" Franky protested as he tried in vain to calm the flustered reindeer. "It's gone now, see?" he assured as he batted his eyelids for emphasis.

"Are you sure?" Chopper asked, "What about infection?"

"No infection can get past my… superrr internal eye lasers!" Franky boasted as he stood and struck a pose.

"Really?!" Chopper squealed.

"Really?!" Usopp gasped.

"…really?!" Luffy finally conceded, his eyes starry with awe as the sheer awesomeness of that statement was too much to contain. He had no idea Franky had internal lasers!

Franky seemed shocked to hear his captain's voice, despite his words just moments before. He felt a rush of pride that had him in a blubber of tears again. "Uwaahhh!" he cried, and dabbed at his eyes again.

"Ohhh!" Chopper roared, horrified. "Is it malfunctioning, Franky?!"

"It must be malfunctioning…!" Usopp concurred with a knowing nod as he folded his arms over his chest. "It must be firing in his brain and cooking it!"

Luffy looked from Franky to Usopp and Chopper then back again, his own eyes wide.

"Don't die, Franky!" Chopper cried as he hopped from hoof to hoof in a frenzy. "Do you need a doctor? Do you need a mechanic? Uwah! I'm not a mechanic!"

"But I am!" Usopp proclaimed triumphantly.

"I believe," Robin stated, as she passed Franky another tissue and brushed his stray tears from her shoulder with a mild look of annoyance. "All he needs is a tissue since he is crying, ne Franky?"

"I'm not crying!" Franky wailed as he accepted the tissue.

"If you're not perhaps I should give you a reason to then." Robin warned with a cold smile.

Franky immediately clammed up and sniffed the snot dribbling from his nose cautiously. "…I lied." He admitted. He wasn't about to tango with Nico Robin. He was more than aware of what that woman was capable of.

"You lied?!" Chopper squawked.

"He lied?!" Luffy joined, disbelief evident.

"I taught him how!" Usopp boasted with a triumphant laugh.

"But… what about the lasers?" Luffy asked softly, disappointment plastered all over his face.

The room was silent for a heartbeat until a loud 'frrrpt' sounded from behind Robin and Brook said, "Ah, excuse me. I farted."

The sudden laughter came fast and loud as the entire crew finally released all the tension that had built around them for weeks. Luffy, surprised at first, looked around bewildered at his crew before a gentle smile worked its way onto his face. He was glad to see the people around him let go and just be. That is, all but one.

Nami watched the crew, her brow furrowed and eyes troubled. As the laughter died away she finally spoke up.

"How can you all sit here and laugh?!" she exclaimed, voice thick with emotion. "Look around you! Have you forgotten about this?" she asked as she jabbed her finger towards the broken table. "Or… or the dried blood on half the clothes in my wardrobe?! What's wrong with you all?!"

Luffy's mirth faded as he regarded Nami in silence. She saw his scrutiny and returned it, tears in her eyes as she waited for his response.

"It's been like that for a while." He finally admitted.

"What?" Nami asked, breathless. "That's impossible! Just last night, at this table, we-"

"Ate dinner from our laps." Ace finished from his seat on the other side of Nico Robin. Nami looked at him as though he were crazy.

"We didn't!" she protested. "Sanji, Usopp! Zoro! You all…. You remember it right? The table was right here!"

"I thought… I was crazy for a while." Luffy admitted, his gaze downcast as he finally opened his heart to his nakama once more. "I didn't know…" he sighed, "I didn't know why I was the only one who could see."

"Luffy…" Usopp breathed the name out, but didn't know what he could say. All this time they'd had no idea. A thought suddenly struck him. "That tart!" he exclaimed.

Brook straightened, "Yes," he agreed. "You acted so strange that day."

Luffy nodded. "There was blood." He admitted as he glanced at the refrigerator. "There still is, when… When Sanji touched the plate after he—they – did this."

Sanji, who had paused in his preparation looked horrified at Luffy's words. He would never, never allow something as unsanitary as—and yet as he yanked open the fridge door, there it was plain as day. Just a smudge, a dried smear but plainly visible on the plate.

"Why didn't you…" Sanji trailed off. He understood now that Luffy's silence had been to protect them. "There must have been some way you could have shown us something was wrong?"

Luffy shook his head, his eyes brimming with unspoken apology. He gnawed on his bottom lip, eyes flitting between his hands in his lap and Sanji. His anxiety was obvious, but he finally admitted, "I didn't know if you were… you again. I didn't know if I could trust you. I was scared to trust you."

Luffy's quiet explanation hit the crew hard as the room fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence. Luffy fidgeted and tried to avoid the piercing, shocked looks plastered across his crew's faces. His feelings over the past weeks filled him with shame and guilt. These people were his treasure, and yet he'd allowed himself to lose faith in them. He didn't want to admit how he'd felt, but at the same time they needed to understand he couldn't just bounce back from this.

"Unforgiveable." Zoro said. His voice was quiet and the statement sudden.

All heads turned to face the swordsman and Luffy fought back the flurry of spiders scuttling about in his stomach. It wasn't the same fluttery butterfly explosion brought on by excitement. This feeling was dread and his stomach clenched at Zoro's single utterance.

"Unforgiveable weakness." Zoro finally elaborated as his hand moved in an unconscious motion towards his swords. Though he understood in his heart that the trust between them had been compromised by what had happened, it was still a shock to hear it from Luffy's own lips. "It will not happen again. I give you my word I won't let it happen again, you hear me, Luffy?"

Luffy released a shaky breath. For a moment there he'd thought... They might have been back… but, no. It was just Zoro and he was a little surprised at how easy a smile slipped onto his face as relief washed through him. "Mm." he confirmed. It pleased him to realise it wasn't a lie. Zoro had never broken a promise to him yet.

"Good." Zoro said as he folded his arms across his chest with a scowl. Luffy watched him with that same easy smile. This was his Zoro and knowing that made him feel safer, like he could finally begin to trust again.

"It must have been… hard." Usopp muttered. "I-I mean… to see all this," he gestured to the broken table with an exaggerated wave of his arms. "And then watch us."

"Sometimes I thought I was imagining it." Luffy uttered back. He didn't like to admit how close he'd come to losing it; losing everything.

"But it's okay now, right?" Usopp asked, his eyes shiny with tears as he scrubbed them away and sniffed. He forced a smile onto his face. "You can relax now, right? You know it's us…"

Luffy didn't offer Usopp an answer and his silence spoke louder than any words could have. Usopp understood, tentative at firt, but then more confident as his captain and best friend didn’t shy from him. He held him in a fierce hug. Luffy couldn't help as his body tensed and his breath caught in his throat. His hands trembled but he didn't pull away. Instead he offered the only platitude he could.

"I'm gonna be okay, Usopp." He said.

"Unless you starve to death before the shitty cook fixes you something to eat." Zoro snapped.

"Ehh? The hell did you say?!" Sanji growled back, bristling with the offensive tart still clutched in one hand. "You wanna say that again, Marimo?!"

"You heard me." Zoro egged.

The two broke into another usual verbal spar and Luffy felt himself relax once again. He patted Usopp on the back twice as his friend pulled away and watched with a keen interest as Nami approached the two arguing men. Nami took it all very hard and had been quiet and withdrawn since this started. Nothing would make him happier (and he never thought he'd say this) than to see her lose her temper.

"Oi, oi, you two." Nami said as she approached the arguing pair. "Is this really the time for this? We have more-”   
  
_"Dartbrow!"_  
  
“-important things to worry-”   
  
_"Marimo bastard!"_    
  
“-about than this. We need-”   
  
_"Pervy cook!"_    
  
“-to work together to-”   
  
_"Shitty swordsman!"_    
  
“SHUT THE HELL UP, I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

Luffy winced as Nami crashed the two men's heads together. She then proceeded to beat them with fists of fury as her temper finally unravelled. He sank back against Usopp, wide eyes as the carnage laid out before him. When it was finally all over the galley was quiet save for Nami's panting.

"She's supposed to say _or_ …!" Usopp whispered urgently, terrified as he was reminded of Nami's wrath.

"Hah?" Luffy noised.

"Mm!" Chopper nodded as he clung to Franky in horror. "She's supposed to say 'shut the hell up  ** _or_**  I'll crush you'!" he whimpered.

Luffy chuckled to himself and smiled despite the situation. "Nami feels better now, ne?" he asked, softly.

Nami turned towards him, fist still raised and steaming. Sanji squirmed in delight at her feet and Zoro sulked beside him with a pout, resisting the urge to nurse the many lumps on his head. For a moment her anger fizzled and Luffy saw her eyes dart briefly over his battered body. He saw her guilt as plain as she saw the marks littered across his skin. It was just as painful for him to see her emotional turmoil as it was for her to see the remnants of the damage his crew had dealt him. He expected she would draw away from him as she had done since this happened. She surprised him.

"You're just as bad." She sulked and averted her eyes with a pout.

She didn't see the brilliant smile that stretched across her captain's lips at even such a small act of normalcy from her. It was a peaceful moment, shared by the entire crew in which they felt maybe, just maybe they really were going to be alright.

"Oi, nose." Sanji called as he climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. He sauntered towards the stove to fix up their breakfast as though Nami hadn't just pummelled him. He gestured towards the broken table. "Fix this mess."

"W-What?!" Usopp yelled, indignantly. "By myself?!"

"Pants-Pervert over there can help you." Sanji replied as he jerked his thumb at Franky.

Usopp pouted but reluctantly agreed as Franky thanked Sanji for the compliment with a blush. The three headed out together (Chopper still attached to Franky’s head) to collect the tools they needed to make repairs.

"Idiots." Zoro muttered, though the smirk on his face gave way to his true emotions.

The Strawhats set about making themselves busy, from fixing coffee to discussing repairs and planning on their next move. Luffy, though he didn’t actively participate, was content to sit amongst them and make his presence known. He could help but notice once again Nami appeared apprehensive. She stood, lost in thought with her arms wrapped around her body in mock comfort. Finally she sighed softly and moved as though to leave the galley. As she passed by Luffy, her eyes widened as his fingers closed around her wrist. Her eyes drifted from his hands to his face, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Luffy?"

"We need to talk, ne?" he asked. It wasn't something he wanted to do. The thought of talking about that night with his crew sickened him, but neither was it something he could avoid.

Nami regarded him thoughtfully. Her jaw set and she nodded slowly. "Mm." she agreed. She wasn't sure what Luffy would say, but she still felt she needed to know whatever he was willing to tell her.

"Don't worry," Luffy reassured and he gave her wrist a firm squeeze. "I'll kick their asses. Nobody makes Nami cry. I promised old man windmill."

Nami blinked and realised for the first time that tears had once again spilled from her eyes. She swiped them away with her free hand and choked out a mix between a sob and a laugh.

"Idiot." She replied with a smile. "You better."

Luffy nodded and released his hold on Nami's wrist. As she walked from the room and he was once again left to his thoughts his smile fell and he contemplated the decision he'd made. Soon they would be back over those waters and would have to face the nightmare all over again. Little by little his body recovered and as he clenched his fist he felt the familiar strength there. It was comforting, but was it enough? Luffy didn't know… but he kept that little thought to himself.


	15. Silent Language

_Luffy's ragged breath rattled across the deck in heavy pants. His chest heaved with wet gasps and he choked out gurgling coughs, expelling the sea water from his lungs. He unconsciously licked his dry lips, a salty taste lingering there mingled with blood from a cut lip. His crew watched his struggled breaths with satisfaction as they encircled him. They silently admired their work – the fresh puckered burns littered across Luffy's skin and clean cuts dribbling blood from his rubber body._

Sanji stepped forward and with a long sweep of his muscled legs he drove his foot into his captain's gut. He watched as the boy's body was propelled back and bounced off of the outer galley wall, crashing to the deck in a heap. He smirked as he heard another choking cough. Luffy was struggling to breathe; his neck was swollen from the earlier 'hanging'.

Their satisfaction died as Luffy pushed himself back up. His limbs trembled as he staggered to his feet before a wave of dizziness fell him to one knee. He breathed deep and slow, trying to steady his wavering vision. They'd given him something – a shot. It made his body heavy and his head foggy. They spoke to him, but the words sounded jumbled and slow. Who were they? Where was he? Was this Sunny-Go? It felt… wrong. He blinked groggily as he strained to comprehend what was happening. Was this a dream? Funny, dreams'd never hurt before…

_They were talking again and he gave the same answer he'd been giving for what felt like hours. He couldn't even make out what they were saying but he just kept answering the same._

" _My nakama will come for me… they'll help me… they'll come."_

_His voice was weak and his throat burned, but his spirit remained strong. He knew his nakama would come for him. They'd help him get away from these people, whoever they were, and then they could go on to the next island. Chopper would probably fuss for a while about his injuries, but that was fine. Chopper always made him feel better after a fight. Was this a fight? Why was he fighting? His nakama were probably close by. They would come; he couldn't even remember why they were coming, but they were and that's all that mattered. He knew he could count on them to get him out of the messes he got himself into._

_He was yanked roughly from his thoughts as a strong hand ripped at his hair and pulled him face to face with his attacker. Luffy's eyes widened as he took in the snarling face of his swordsman, his first mate._

"Zoro…" the name spilled from his lips breathlessly and he swallowed thickly as his stomach lurched.

"Are you that much of a fool, or do you finally understand,

_**Captain** _ _?!" Zoro spat "We_ _**are** _ _your 'nakama'. Nobody is coming to save you!"_

_Luffy's breath caught in his throat as a wave of unfamiliar terror crept along the length of his spine. Zoro was here but he was_ hurting _him and the rest of his crew… were they also…? Somewhere inside of him he knew it couldn't be true. They would never hurt him. Right now though as his vision swam and his head ached with the effort to piece his thoughts together, the only thing he could feel was panic. His nakama were right here. They'd done this to him! Why? His mind couldn't find the answers. Where was he? Why was he here? Why were they doing this?_

_The crew above him smirked and readied their weapons, delighted at his sudden change in attitude. Nami was the first to act as she swung out her climatact, striking Luffy under the chin which sent him teetering back in unsteady legs. She didn't let up and used the stick to slam him back to the ground, digging it into his throat. Luffy coughed and grabbed it with both hands to alleviate the pressure. He struggled and it didn't make sense. Nami was strong, but she wasn't_ _**this** _ _strong! The navigator glanced at Franky and nodded. He moved forward, picking up the sea-soaked rope they'd used to hang Luffy. In one swift movement he dropped to one knee and looped it around the young captain's throat, pulling it taut. Luffy's eyes bulged with panic as he struggled to fight off the pair. Deprived of oxygen, his struggles slowly wasted until he fell limp. Franky released him and Nami stepped back, stooping low to grab one of her captain's rubbery arms with a sneer._

" _Ne, Sanji-kun, you said you could cook anything, right?" she asked, a coy smile curling its way onto her face._

" _Of course, Nami-san." The chef replied, plucking a cigarette from his shirt pocket before placing it between his lips. "How would you like it prepared?"_

" _I think that you should roast it," Robin started as she stepped forward to glance at the unconscious teen. "Well done."_

" _Hm?" Nami replied, eyebrows raising and looking more than pleased. "That sounds delicious, Robin."_

_Sanji nodded once and grabbed Luffy's arm from Nami. He dragged the motionless teen into the galley and over to the oven. He opened the oven door, held Luffy's hand inside and slammed it closed again before twisting some of the dials, setting the heat on its highest level._

_It took a couple of minutes before the oven's heat started to penetrate the young captain's rubber skin, but after a moment Luffy started to show signs of waking. He twitched and groaned softly as his hand began to sting from the intense heat. Had he been a normal human, he would probably have been screaming in agony by now, but as it were, he was only just starting to feel real pain._

_Heavy eyelids dragged open to reveal clouded dark eyes as he slowly came to. Shaking his head softly, it was obvious he was trying to piece together where he was and what was happening. Luffy grunted as the stinging in his hand grew fiercer and he tried to pull his arm away from whatever was hurting him. Still groggy from the drugs Chopper had given him, it took a few seconds before he realised his arm was trapped. The memories rushed back at him like a slap to the face and his head twisted around sharply to see his arm trapped in the oven and the door held firmly closed by Sanji's powerful foot. His eyes darted from one person to the next in barely veiled panic as he desperately searched for a way to get free.  
_

_Luffy clenched his fist and hissed in pain as he tried to pull his arm free again but Sanji stood his ground, one long, muscled leg strained with his foot against the oven, keeping the door closed. Luffy cursed, his arm stretching as he tried to pull it free._

" _Ah-ah," Sanji muttered in a sing-song voice. "Nami-san and Robin-chan are hungry. A_ good _captain wouldn't let his crew go hungry and eat all of the food for himself, right?"_

_Beads of sweat prickled on Luffy's face as he turned his attention to Sanji instead. He clumsily kicked out the cooks standing leg from under him before kicking again with his other leg, slamming his attack into Sanji's crotch. Sanji cursed and groaned as his hands clutched his throbbing groin. Searing blue eyes glared daggers Luffy's way. Luffy hardly noticed though as he finally managed to tear his hand from the oven. He scrambled to his feet and made a frantic attempt to escape the galley, but that was quickly cut short by Zoro. Twin blades pierced forward, barely missing the tiring rubber boy as he stumbled to dodge. He grunted softly as the swords edge sliced through his top and left a shallow, bleeding cut._

_Luffy narrowed his eyes at his first mate, trying to ignore the stinging throb pulsating throughout his hand and wrist. He held the limb close to him, cradled against his chest as he resisted the urge to try and blow on the blistered skin in attempt to cool it down. Chopper could help him with that when all of this was over._

_They stood face to face now; Captain and First Mate. The swordsman shifted his stance for another attack and Luffy held back a grunt of pain as he forced both hands into a fist. He favoured his right hand over his left in battle, but with it blistered and red, he would have to make do with his left. Perhaps he wouldn't have to fight? Zoro had always been so strong of mind, surely he could reach him if he tried…? As if reading his mind, the swordsman's lips curled into a sneer._

" _Did that hurt,_ _ **Captain**_ _?"_

" _You're not Zoro." Luffy muttered back, though his voice wavered slightly. These… people were acting more and more like his nakama, but something still didn't feel right. His crew were the strongest, the most loyal. They would never do this. That's why he had to stay strong for them. He hadn't missed the slight limp to 'Sanji's' walk from his attack moments earlier. He'd hurt him, but he wasn't glad for it. He'd only hurt Sanji's body, not whatever was controlling him. There_ had _to be something controlling them after all. There had to be… they wouldn't do this…_

" _I thought we cleared that little issue up?" Robin sighed. "You think you're so good that your crew wouldn't turn against you? I did it before, didn't I?"_

" _It wasn't like that! You were… Robin was… protecting me – us!" Luffy stuttered out. This wasn't Robin. It wasn't. "You're not my nakama…" Luffy muttered again, though this time he didn't sound so sure. He struggled to meet their eyes as even those seemed different now too. How could they do these things whilst looking at him with those caring and trusting eyes?_

" _I mean, seriously, how long did you think we'd put up with all the shit you put us through?!" Usopp suddenly asked, sounding furious. "How many times have you started something and ended up dragging us into it?!"_

" _You're not…" Luffy ground out, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a shuddery sigh. "My nakama."_

_"Not anymore." Franky spat. "I was an idiot for ever even considering following a captain like you."_

"Yohoho! We should be grateful we learned sooner rather than later, Franky-san!" Brook added with ever grinning skeletal expression somehow darker. "Unlike these poor fools who've followed him halfway across the world."

" _How much exactly did you expect us to tolerate?" Nami asked as she inspected her nails carelessly, digging out dried flakes of blood from beneath them. "How much more money did you have to lose me before I snapped, eh? You think I cared about_ you _more than money? Che."_

" _I respected you!" Chopper added, tears gathering in his eyes, making Luffy's widen. "Sailing with you has only brought me more pain! I get called a monster wherever we go! People chase me and try to eat me and you just laugh!"_

" _Chopper…" Luffy whispered as he swallowed back a growing lump in his throat. It wasn't true. "You made new friends! You proved you could fight!"_

" _He wouldn't_ have _to fight or hurt half as much as he does if you weren't so damn careless." Zoro snorted. He sheathed his swords and folded his arms across his chest as he stood away from Luffy again. It was apparent that words were affecting the boy more than their attacks were. "To think, I follow such a weak and pathetic_ _ **Captain**_ _. I think it's about time we parted ways."_

_Luffy swallowed hard again, forcing back the fear those words brought on. Without his nakama he was nothing. But he knew! He knew his crew would never_ _**abandon** _ _him! This was_ _**not** _ _his crew! The dark haired boy narrowed his eyes, taking a slow deep breath to calm himself._

" _You're not my nakama." Luffy uttered, a breathy laugh escaping as a weak smile touched his lips. "Zoro…_ _ **my**_ _Zoro would worry about fighting. Makes you stronger… and… he's the strongest, greatest swordsman."_

_The figures around him leered darkly, obviously not pleased with that response._

"You just never learn, do you Luffy?" Nami spat as she flicked out her climatact and her fingers tightened round the staff.

* * *

Nami gasped awake as she sat bolt upright with her arm outstretched as though reaching for something that wasn't there. She slowly lowered her arm, hugging her fingers clawing the fabric of her shirt in a tight grip. She took a shuddering breath as she realised where she was. It was a dream, yet it had been so real. She reached up to rake a hand through her hair and paused when her fingers brushed the battered straw of Luffy's hat. Gently she pulled it from her head and held it in her hands. When had he…? A soft shuffle beside her answered her question before she could ask it.

She'd eaten breakfast with the crew and come up on deck to tend to her mikan groves in the quiet of the morning. It was a chance for her to gather her thoughts. She didn't feel frightened any longer; the foreboding sense of danger had come from _not knowing_. As much as she didn't like to, she knew what had happened that night now so what did she have to be afraid of? _She_ was one of the monsters that had been lingering in the darkness after all. She'd sat down to enjoy the sunshine in peace but the combination of morning sun and the layers of exhaustion that had slowly built up had her dozing before she even realised she was falling asleep. That was where Luffy had found her.

Nami didn't startle when she heard the rustle beside her. The hat was a dead giveaway but somehow she knew it was Luffy even without the presence of the familiar accessory. She hesitated to turn and face him, even though she felt his eyes on her. Instead she found great interest in tracing her fingers over the countless repairs she'd made to his precious treasure. It was a source of pride for her – a task she knew was valued highly by her young captain. The hat itself was a marvel to behold. Like its owner it seemed to bounce back from all the damage thrown at it. She had spent hours rebuilding it after the attack on Luffy. It was a welcome distraction from reality. The old straw was cracked and crushed to a point where Nami almost considered it a lost cause. She didn't dare give up on it though. Doing that would feel like giving up on Luffy and with the rubber boy fighting for his life below deck she'd persevered until 'Boshi' was back fighting fit. Luffy's repairs took a bit longer but little by little, like his straw hat, he was piecing himself back together. She was proud of him.

Finally Nami sighed and glanced back at him. His eyes were half lidded as he too had just woken up, startled by Nami's nightmare. He was lying on his back, propped up by his elbows and regarded her with a quiet, patient air. She gazed back at him apprehensively.

"I had a nightmare." Nami finally admitted.

Luffy gave no reply but regarded her sleepily. Nami thumbed the rim of his hat anxiously and bit her lip. His patience was rewarded when she finally continued.

"I was… hurting you." She muttered, voice choked with guilt as tears pricked her eyes.

"Nami…"

She couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at her name from his lips. It was softer than she remembered, somewhat raspy from disuse, lacking the usual lilting excitement she'd always known it to have. She couldn't deny though just how _good_ it was to hear that voice again.

"I don't even know, I mean, is it even a nightmare?" she continued as she palmed at her tears. "Or are they memories?"

Luffy couldn't offer her an answer. He hadn't seen her dream, after all. Even if he had, he didn't know whether he would want to confirm her suspicions. With a wince he pushed himself into a sitting position, sighed softly and regarded Nami with a thoughtful air. Zoro was easy to deal with. The two of them had always shared similar opinions and didn't disagree often. Even when Luffy did stupid things, Zoro never held them against him and followed his decisions without question. Nami was a different story; she was smart, cunning and she worried _too much_. Luffy adored her, as he did every one of his crew, for being as she was. It balanced them as a team, but right now it made things hard for him. He knew he could tell Zoro he forgave him and that would be the end of it. Nami was different; he needed her to know that what had happened – what _she'd_ done – wasn't her fault. He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together in concentration. He'd never been good at this sort of thing.

Nami waited anxiously for Luffy to say something – to reassure her. It was selfish, she knew, but she felt as though she were stumbling in the dark. How could he forgive them so easily? Luffy was easy-going, simple and yet brilliant, but a part of her couldn't accept his forgiveness so easily. Her eyes trailed over his body, making mental notes of the healing wounds she could see and those she couldn't, still swathed in bandage. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat as they settled on his hands in his lap. One lay naked, a healing cut here and there, whilst the other was still thickly bandaged a discoloured burn peeking from behind stark white gauze.

"Your hand…" Nami breathed, swallowing thickly. "I… Sanji-kun…"

Luffy blinked at her, shocked by her sudden pallor. She looked as though she might vomit. Confused, he lowered his gaze to his hands, then back to Nami again. His eyebrows lifted at the realisation of what she was referring to.

"Ah," he noised, unsure what else to say. His memories of that night were fragmented, somewhat hazy. He remembered what had caused the burn – the oven – but Nami had seen it before, surely? It was a bit sore, but healing fast and far less gruesome than some of the wounds on his body.

"In my dream…" Nami uttered, eyes fixated on the bandaged limb. "Your hand…"

Luffy shifted uncomfortably at her words. He hadn't even considered the possibility that his crew might actually start to remember what they did to him. His stomach roiled at the prospect, though he tried not to show his discomfort too much. "It doesn't really hurt anymore." He muttered. It sounded weak to his own ears, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I did that." Nami said softly, a resigned conviction in her tone.. "Then, the other things, in the dream…?"

"No." Luffy's denial was firm. He had been unconscious when his hand was burned but he didn't have to _see_ who had done it. That wasn't his crew. "That wasn't Nami, or Sanji – or anyone!"

She looked at Luffy then, brow furrowed and face set with determination. She wanted an answer. She was asking him if what she thought was true. Part of her didn't even want to know, but another part desperately needed it.

"Then whoever I was that night – they did it, didn't they?"

"…mm." Luffy noised, with a reluctant nod. "But it wasn't Nami."

"With my body. That burn right there." She accused, a finger outstretched at the offending appendage. "That was me and Sanji-kun."

Luffy's pout _almost_ made her smile. As much as he didn't want to accuse her there was no way around confirming her accusation. With a soft huff he offered a sulky nod and averted his eyes a moment before turning back to her, silently willing her to understand.

Nami studied his face, the determination mingled with fatigue and pain. Her young, idiot captain had been through hell at the hands of his crew and yet here he was trying to offer her comfort. She felt more tears well in her eyes and through blurry vision she saw Luffy move. Before she could resist his arms were around her as he pulled her gently to his chest in a strong hug. Her cheek pressed against his chest and she could hear his heart beat and smell the antiseptic through the thick bandages beneath his vest. Her body shook with a sob and then another. They came quicker, harsher and Luffy held her, like he always did, as she finally fell apart in his arms.

She didn't know how long she cried for or how many apologies she'd hiccupped out but Luffy never once accepted any of them. She already knew as far as he was concerned no blame belonged to any of his crew. He was selfish, she decided. If he'd just fought back they would be well on their way to the next island by now.

"Or you'd be dead."

The statement was soft, but harsh. It caught her off guard.

"What…?" she sniffed, finally looking up at him.

"It's what they wanted." Luffy continued, though his gaze was lost out at sea as his uninjured hand weaved through her hair in a comforting gesture. "They wanted me to hurt you. Because… Ace said, because they had a bad Captain. I'm not their captain."

Nami realised she's spoken her thoughts aloud and blushed, embarrassed. "You should have tried." She admitted, softly.

"My nakama are strong." Luffy declared, a hint of pride in his soft words. "We don't just… get stopped. Not Zoro, or Sanji, or Brook… or Nami."

"You could have fought back!" Nami insisted.

"If I did, you could have died." Luffy uttered, his eyes narrowing at the horizon. Didn't Nami understand? He couldn't come back from that. "I'm not a doctor, or a swordsman, or a cook." He sighed heavily. "I'm the Captain, so I make the decisions," he continued, his jaw set, eyes distant. "I decided Chopper could heal me and Sanji could cook for me… and Franky and Robin and everyone else could protect me 'til I got better."

" _You_ could have died!" Nami protested.

"It was my decision." Luffy retorted, softly as he finally lowered his gaze to hers. "I didn't die."

"…I know that, dummy." Nami muttered as she chewed her lip and lowered her head to rest on his chest again. Luffy shifted against her weight and she tensed, eyes drifting to the soiled bandages peeking from beneath Luffy's vest. "You need to change your bandages."

"I'm talking to Nami." Luffy replied stubbornly, softly.

"You're being stubborn!" Nami protested as she lifted her head from his chest. As much as she enjoyed the moment of closeness, Luffy's health was more important and the wound on his chest was the worst of all the damage. An infection, even now, could still kill him.

"M'not!" Luffy grumbled back "Nami needs to understand!"

"Nami understands you _need to change your bandages_!" she hissed back

"No."

"What?"

"No…" Luffy repeated, a little less certain this time.

"Well I'm leaving to find Chopper."

Luffy pushed himself to his feet and winced past the ache in his body to head Nami off at the top of the stairs. Stubbornly he spread his arms to hold each railing and stop her retreat.

"Luffy…" Nami warned, exasperated yet somewhat delighted at Luffy's behaviour.

"Nami's staying."

"I'm going!"

"Staying! It's an order!"

Without warning a myriad of arms sprouted from Nami's body and held her captive. A stray disembodied leg swept her feet from under her and Nami yelped as she crashed rear first to the deck.

"Robiiiin!" she whined, aghast at her fellow she-pirates betrayal. "Luffy needs to change his bandages!"

"Chopper is already on his way," Robin offered back from her seat on the deck below. How long she had been there, Nami had no clue.

"But Robin-!"

"Luffy gave you an order." Robin replied and though Nami couldn't see it she could hear the smile in her crewmates' voice.

Nami huffed and offered Luffy a weak, wounded glare. Luffy paid her no mind and instead relaxed his body and lowered himself to the deck once again, opposite her. Subdued, Nami looked at her young captain to offer up protest and halted as she saw a film of sweat shining on his face and the strain in his body just from his attempt to block her. She squared her jaw and pursed her lips resigned to staying put. They sat together in silence for a few moments and Nami turned her gaze away from Luffy's unwavering stare. She couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto her face.

The soft click of Chopper's hooves on the stairs alerted them to his arrival before either Nami or Luffy saw him. He fussed briefly around Luffy, clucking about the soggy bandages and muttering softly to himself as he assessed the general look of his captain. Initial inspection done he asked Luffy to remove his shirt and set to work replacing his bandages. Luffy complied with Chopper's soft demands as the doctor rummaged through his medical bag and lifted his arms so the bandages could be removed. Robin by now had released Nami, content she wasn't about to run, so Nami sat in awkward silence and waited for Chopper to finish his treatment. Luffy never took his eyes from her, grimly studying her discomfort. He had to make it alright – to show her _he_ would be alright.

"It's better, ne Chopper?" he asked, still watching Nami.

"O-Oh! Um, yeah!" Chopper replied, Luffy's question unexpected. "Much better! The stitches are holding well and the skin here has scabbed well."

Nami glanced toward them at Chopper's words, a jumble of emotions tumbling across her face in a matter of moments. The last time she'd seen that wound it had been gaping open when she'd found Luffy on the galley floor. It _did_ look better, but still…

"Luffy heals really fast, Nami!" Chopper exclaimed, a look of delight on his face as he gently inspected the wound. "He's strong!"

Luffy smiled and his expression softened as he turned to look at the top of Choppers hat. He knew he didn't have to worry about Chopper. Luffy made a silent promise to all of them that he would get better. Sanji, Zoro, Usopp and Chopper had heard him loud and clear. Nami didn't hear it very well, but she was a girl and girls had so many things going on in their heads that sometimes they didn't have room for more, which was why Luffy was trying to make her understand. Robin was a girl too, of course; her head was different though because she was an archaeologist and incredibly smart – she had extra room, obviously. Mystery room. Franky and Brook were still new to the crew – he trusted them as much as any other member of the Strawhats but he figured they hadn't been around long enough to hear the silent language his crew often spoke in. He would talk to them too, after he was sure Nami was okay.

"All done! You can put your arms down now, Luffy!"

Chopper's voice startled him and Chopper mistook his thoughtful expression for a pained grimace.

"Are you alright, Luffy?" Chopper asked and raised a hoof to check his temperature.

"Huh? Yeah." Luffy answered. He was tired. He always felt tired lately, even though he was sleeping better, but Chopper and Ace insisted it was because his body was working hard to heal.

He regarded Chopper for a moment, taking in the concerned expression on his furry face. Touch, though accepted and even initiated, was something Luffy was still not entirely comfortable with yet. He reasoned with himself, that it was time to start looking after his crew again and drawing in a slow, calming breath he tugged his doctor into his lap. Chopper squeaked in surprise but didn't fight Luffy's hold as his captain settled him on top of his crossed legs and wrapped his arms loosely around him. If Chopper noticed the tremble in his captain's body he didn't mention it as he beamed with pride and excitement. All thoughts and worries slipped from his mind as he tipped his head back to gaze up at Luffy with admiration.

Content that Chopper was settled, Luffy once again turned his attention to his navigator. He opened his mouth to challenge Nami but froze as she held up a hand to stop him.

"Fifty-three thousand eight hundred and eighty."

Ah?" Luffy noised and blinked, bewildered. He glanced down at Chopper, who in turned looked back at him, just as confused, before returning his questioning gaze to Nami.

"That's how much your medical fees have cost – to date." Nami explained. "So, that's how much you owe me."

Luffy blanched, his jaw dropping, "B-But…" he argued feebly.

"So, I suggest you get better quickly, so we can get some money to pay me back, hm?"

Luffy snapped his mouth closed and blinked once more as slowly understanding washed over him. Of course! Nami's head might have had trouble fitting in what Luffy was trying to tell her, but she spoke money _fluently_. A smile slipped easily onto his face as he nodded.

"I'm not a monster though, so deducting the total savings we made in food over the past couple weeks, I'd say we're about even." Nami continued. "But of course, your medical treatment is ongoing, so…"

Luffy barked out a soft laugh at that and both Nami's and Chopper's faces lit up at the sound. Nami might not be able to hear their silent language very well sometimes but when she needed to say something, she could speak it loud and clear. She'd heard him. She believed when he promised he was going to be okay.

"I'll give you an extension on the loan until you're on your feet again, ne?" she offered with a soft smile. "I'll give you a special rate on interest too, just to say sorry… even if it wasn't me, okay?"

Luffy nodded eagerly, for once delighted by the debt Nami laid on him.

"Okay."


End file.
